Above and Below Surface
by Whitehorse102
Summary: The mers have lived in Below Surface since the Clarines Kingdom attacked and sunk Atlantis. Centuries have passed, and the humans have forgotten the past war that mers have never forgiven. However, when young Shirayuki meets the current Prince of Clarines after pirates are paid to drown him in the deep blue, both worlds may soon meet yet again...
1. Chapter 1

**MERMAIDS! MERMAIDS! MERMAIDS!**

 **Hello everyone! So, even though it hasn't been all that long since I finished my Slave AU for this...very...same...ship...um...BUT ANYWAYS! I've recently moved to college and things have been crazy. Please don't expect really fast updates and please try and understand that I'm going to have to take my sour time with this as college is a very busy thing. Wow. Great Summary Annie. You're really selling this story. Ugh, sorry. Here's the actual summary:**

 **The mers have lived in Below Surface since the humans attacked and sunk Atlantis. Centuries have passed, and the descendants of Clarines have all but forgotten it was their very own kingdom to declare the war that turned the Atlantians into the mers. But the mers, on the other scale, have never forgotten. Shirayuki is not excluded in that hatred. It's finally her turn to sink the next pirate ship that passes through her pod's waters-but plans change when she realizes the pirates hold the current Prince of Clarines as a prisoner.**

 **I hope you enjoy, and remember, review!**

* * *

Shirayuki had been following the pirate ship for four days.

The ocean felt amazing across her skin and scales. The water was warm from the sunshine, and the salt filtered through her gills easily. Her tail easily swatted the water, powering her after the boat's hull. It was a windy day Above Surface, but she only could tell because the ship's twenty oars weren't rhythmically dipping in and out of the sea. The sails on the boat instead left a shadow over the waves.

Shirayuki was close to the surface, just below the point where the waves would lift and drop her. A little disappointing, as Shirayuki found that to be one of the best ways to play with the sea. But no, she couldn't risk being spotted by the pirates aboard the vessel.

It was her turn to sink them. She'd become very apathetic to the process. It wasn't as if it were hard. She simply had to sit on a rock in their sight, maybe sing a little, and then watch as they steered their boat right into her rock. Men were always drawn to her irresistible, long and wavy bright red hair.

However, the plan had been put off when she overheard one of the pirates speaking. Apparently, the Prince of Clarines was aboard that ship.

The Prince of Clarines…she couldn't kill him. Not only was he the next air to the throne, the Clarines kingdom was right at the border of the sea. Their kingdom, while almost all living there didn't know this, was the kingdom that invaded and sunk Atlantis.

All the mers of the Below World knew this and hated Clarines-and all humans-for it.

So why wasn't Shirayuki jumping at the chance to sink the ship?

She clutched at her bag's strap. It was tied with seaweed, the bag itself leather that humans in the Above Surface had littered her Below Surface with. Inside, she held a knife made out of sharpened shell, a comb made from a sharp rock, scale polisher, and her oyster that held her magic pearls.

Shirayuki hadn't given up on the idea of sinking the pirate ship. But she had let them stray far away from her usual sinking point and wasn't sure where the next best one was. So, for now, she focused on another plan-get the Prince off of the ship, and into the sea.

Shirayuki didn't want to drown him. She wanted to question him-thoroughly. To see if any Above Surface dwellers of Clarines knew of their true history of murder and genocide. Then she would drown him.

The pirates had begun another song, pulling her from her thoughts. She released her bag and let her hands swirl the water around her. Her bracelets clinked against each other soundlessly. The song was muted thanks to the surface, so she couldn't make out any words. Just the rhythm. But it was no doubt ghastly and crude. She wondered if the Prince was suffering because of it.

A pod of flying fish darted over her head. They jumped through the waves, playing in the way she wished she could. Each jump was landed with either a small shower of bubbles or the ocean simply reclaimed its dwellers, amused.

 _Join us!_ One called out to her, its voice faint and quiet. Then, in a flash of blue scales it broke the surface again.

Shirayuki laughed and spun around once. "Maybe another time. I have to keep myself hidden."

 _Why?_ Another asked. It had just landed again, and it swam down next to her. It began to circle, constantly moving. It brushed her stomach and arms with its fins that worked like wings.

"It's…hard to explain." She couldn't use large words with flying fish. They weren't as cultivated as the mers. They never seemed to understand that they were sometimes even food for the mers. But Shirayuki didn't mind. She could use some company. As she had laid her claims on this ship, and her pod was the only one for miles, she hadn't seen any other mers yet.

The flying fish skimmed away from her, back up to the surface. She could hear the way they hummed as they flew in and out of the sea. They were so unconcerned, it was hard not to envy them.

Shirayuki looked back to the boat. Only around twenty tail flicks away from the barnacles against the permanently soaked wood, she was tempted to at least break the surface to see if she could see the Prince.

And as if the thought had caused it, something crashed into the water to the port side of the ship.

The flying fish above her all jumped collectively out of the water. They skipped away starboard, away from whatever the threat apparently was.

Shirayuki spread her fins and plunged her tail downwards, abruptly halting her. Her red hair looked as if it had streaks of sunlight in it as it swayed in her face. She jerked her head back so her hair stayed out of her face. As it cleared, she looked at the lump slowly sinking. She realized with a bit of a jolt it was a person.

He was no pirate. His clothing was the biggest hint to show he wasn't. It wasn't loose thanks to the wind and salt and sea. His boots were steel-toed, something pirates avoided. His pants were good fabric, not scuffed together or old. He wore a long-sleeved blue jacket with a gold trim, but it was open in the front to show his white shirt, now soaked through. His cheeks were slightly puffed as he held his breath. The brightest thing on him was his white hair, brightened from the sun's air. Shirayuki had never seen snow, but she had heard of it. He had the hair the color of snow.

He kicked helplessly, his hair rolling around the top of his head. But he still sunk, a large iron chain pulled him down by his hands. His fingers were white around the chain, trying to somehow stop his decent. But there was no use. He was going to drown.

Shirayuki's tail was moving before she could even think about it.

* * *

"So, you still wanna run your mouth?" The pirate taunted Zen.

Zen heaved a sigh through his nose. He turned on the flimsy wooden board, trying to hold his strong stance even as the ocean rose and fell, bobbing him around. "Gentlemen, I'm not the one who's most likely to run us aground."

The pirates growled. One, leaning on the other, took a swing of beer then spat it over the plank towards the Second Prince of Clarines. It fell short just over Zen's boot. The Captain of this ship, _The Poisoned Rose_ , lifted his boot and planted it firmly on the plank.

Zen's feet jumped off the board, and for a terrifying moment he floated in the air. The heavy chains wrapped four times around his hands pulled him straight back down. He felt the impact in his teeth, but he remained standing. The ocean rolled, tauntingly, teasingly, menacingly just underneath his feet.

"Prince, you're playing a deadly game. If you haven't noticed, you're about to be shark bait, matey." The pirate said. His voice was croaky and crackled deep in his throat, as if his esophagus was lined with salt. "Do you really want your last words to be snarky?"

Zen sputtered a laugh. "I highly doubt I can entrust my last words to pirates."

The captain simply lifted his shoulder in a shrug, the oversized red jacket shifting. "We've been paid to make sure no one ever finds you again. We have to do what we were paid to do."

Zen smirked. "Let me guess-nothing personal?"

The entire crew roared with laughter. Behind them, _The Poisoned Rose's_ sails flapped in the wind. Like the boat itself agreed with the ship, or was brushing him away from the wooden boards-the last dry land for miles. The wind pulled at his clothes teasingly and pushed at his stance.

"Ah, mate. You don't understand how personal you've made it." With that, the pirate stepped off the plank. "Say hello to the sharks for us." With all of the captain's might, he slammed his foot on the plank.

Zen flew again, but this time the crew moved fast. They pulled the plank just a little bit back-just enough that when he fell straight down, this time his feet weren't met with a landing.

Time slowed. He was aware of everything. The buzzing of a flying fish's wings as it desperately tried to escape the depths of the sea. The waves roaring as they rose, then hissing as the salt rolled against itself. The salty wind pulling his hair, as if suddenly regretting trying to push him and hold him up by his hair instead. But it was useless. He watched as the side of the ship slipped by. The wooden planks moved so slow he could count them.

Zen wondered if he was really about to die. He pulled on his chains one last time, but they were cold and sturdy. His executioners were ready to hold him down until his bones crumbled at the bottom of the sea.

And then time continued as usual.

The water caught him in salty hands. The water rushed to block all air. Bubbles surrounded him and went up, while he continued to go down. Immediately, the human instinct for air attacked him. He started to kick desperately. Zen was a great swimmer-when he wasn't being dragged down by iron chains. To his dismay, he couldn't straighten his body. He hoped to maybe manage to put his head forwards, then move his hands back and forth to create a pumping system. But the chains were just too heavy for him to straighten himself out. Then, his kicking was only pushing him sideways through the water. If not that, it only pushed him farther down.

He clenched his teeth and gave a massive kick, but all he did was spin slightly. His hair swept across his face, brushing so calmly over his forehead. He realized it would probably be like that for the rest of time, until the salt finally decomposed it into nothing.

And suddenly, he felt hands. Soft and small, but strong, they slipped between his arms and his body. He turned his head, trying to see who was behind him. The fingers curled around his armpits, and he was suddenly lifted. Something soft fluttered around his ankles.

He looked at the hands. They looked human, but how could anyone else be in the water with him? They weren't the hands of a pirate-they were clean and female.

The surface broke over the back of his head, so when he sharply lifted his head water was thrown from his hair. He coughed, rising and falling with the waves. He kept expecting to go under again, but the hands never left his arms. They kept his mouth and nose away from the ocean. The waves didn't seem to hinder them. "Who-Who are you?" He asked, wanting to demand it but too grateful that he was alive to say it in anything but wonder.

* * *

Shirayuki circled him. He turned sideways thanks to her movements, but that was alright. _This is the Prince of Clarines_. She thought, as her hands grasped him by his armpits and she looked upwards, kicking up to the Above Surface. She didn't need air-she _could_ breathe it, but it hurt a little bit and she could only handle about fifteen minutes of it before she inevitably drowned without the ocean's salt filling her lungs.

His hair swirled on his head as he tried to take a glimpse of her, but she kept her grip on him tight-he wasn't going anywhere but up. _Why am I doing this?_ She thought. Her and his head broke the surface of the water. It was slightly disconcerting to be taller than him-and only by a flipper.

The Prince tossed his head up, gasping in air in only the way a fish would after returning to the sea. It was almost comical, but then he started to cough and all humor left the situation. Shirayuki may have hated humans, but she wasn't sadistic.

"Who-Who are you?" He asked.

Shirayuki spoke English. She only knew it because her siren songs were in English, and she wanted to know what last words the sailors were hearing. She had to start up her act of questioning him. The original plan was still in place-it was just starting unexpectedly. "Who do you think I am?" She responded.

He coughed again, although this time it seemed a little more disbelieving than trying to breathe. "Why are you out in the middle of the ocean?"

Shirayuki scoffed. "You're welcome."

The Prince took a deep, steadying breath. "Thank you." He said it in such a grateful voice Shirayuki was actually a little taken aback. Then she tightened her grip on him again, and kicked in time with the ocean to keep his head above water. He strained his arms against the iron on his wrists. "I'm in so much trouble still. And so are you. Did the pirates throw you overboard too?"

Shirayuki took a deep breath. She spun him around, and stared right into his eyes. She was startled by the depths of blue-they reminded her almost painfully of her favorite coastal reef's waters, the deep blue different than most blue as it wasn't controlled by the sunlight. They widened, his breath rapid. The eyes danced over her face, down, then back up again. "You-you're a…" He managed.

She lied on her stomach smugly, and lifted her tail out of the water just for a minute. Her fin spread as it touched the air, feeling the sun, then folded again as she touched the water again and went back to keeping them afloat. "Did you forget all about the race you destroyed, human?" She asked, deadly calm.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! I hope you all had a wonderful week, and welcome back to the next chapter of Above and Below! I don't have too much to say here, except that I'm immensely prouder of this chapter than of the first chapter. Which is sucky, because the first chapter is obviously what people see first. But oh well. I have an actual world built up around this fanfiction, which is really rare as most of "my worlds" (I like to call them that) are used in my actual writing that I someday want to make into books and stuff. But I like the shipping possibilities of this one too much to not make fic. I hope you enjoy, and I'll see you next time! Remember, Review!**

* * *

"You're a-" He didn't get the chance to finish that sentence when she suddenly dropped under the waves and out of his sight. He looked down and around desperately, feeling her hands press from place to place across his body to keep him afloat. His chin slapped the surface of the water, and the salt stung in his eyes. He could just barely see the flash of green scales all around him. He felt his legs suddenly be pinned together-something strong and swift wrapping around both of them. She resurfaced, right next to his ear.

"Hold your breath." She murmured.

Zen felt a chill run through his body. She sunk, and alarmingly, so did he. He tilted his head straight back and gulped a huge breath of air, before she pulled him down with a sharp yank from her tail. He closed his eyes, then opened them again once under. Her green eyes were beautiful, but scrutinizing. Something like hatred lingered in them. Zen wondered what he had done to make the mermaid so mad.

She unraveled her tail and put her hands on his chest. To his alarm, he was already sinking again from the chains. He watched as her long, sparkling green tail straightened her body so she was a downwards arrow. Her fin spread, high over her head. It shimmered as it acted like a shade for the oh-so-far away sun. There were veins of golden coloring stretched all over her fin. It looked more like a fabric than an actual muscle.

Then it pumped downwards, and Zen's breath was nearly knocked out of him. She kicked her tail, taking him with her deeper into the sea.

 _She's trying to kill me._ Zen thought. He kicked out, shaking his head desperately. But the mermaid made a small _pfft_ noise and simply kicked harder.

Pressure started to build on Zen. Between his two eyebrows, a pain started to build. He clenched his teeth and tried to think. She had warned him to hold his breath. And if she was trying to kill him, why wouldn't she just have let him drown originally?

She lowered her tail and stretched her body. Suddenly they were moving sideways instead of down. Zen tried to raise his eyebrow at her. She didn't answer. Zen started to wonder if she could. Instead, she sped up. His hair all drifted towards her, the water pushing at his back. The Second Prince of Clarines studied her the best he could as they moved.

She was incredibly beautiful, with long, wavy red hair the colors of perfectly ripe apples. Her skin was an even shade, not a spot on her face. She wore a collection of bracelets on each wrist. It was hard to tell exactly what they were made out of, but he could blame the pressure giving him a massive headache for that. She wore some sort of fabric around her chest. It was white, and unlike that of any he'd ever seen before. He could see the stitch work in it, but it was so thin the sun shone through it. Just before that fabric on her skin, he saw four slits on both sides of her collarbones-gills. Her skin became scales just underneath her belly button.

She shoved him down a little more, and then removed her hands from his chest. Zen's lungs were starting to hurt. He pulled at the chains again, but all he was rewarded with was a sharp pain against his wrists. The mermaid kicked her tail and slipped by him-close enough that her hair brushed over his cheeks and her tail nearly smacked him.

Zen tried to turn and see her, but then he felt his chains be pulled. He grunted softly, a few precious bubbles escaping from his lips. The mermaid probably didn't know about how rubbed raw his wrists were. Her pulling him by them felt as if a million needles were being pushed into his skin. The salty water wasn't helping.

Then suddenly he stopped moving. He began to sink again, but before he got too far his shirt tightened against his chest. She had apparently dropped his chains and was pulling him along by his clothing instead. Before he could think too much about that, the surface of the water, seemingly so far away, seemed to vanish. He realized he was being pulled through a large hole-assumingly in a rock based off the smoothness of the stone now above him. He tried to twist to see the mermaid, but her tail twisted and slammed into his chest. "Mph!" He tried to complain. The mermaid didn't respond.

 _She's kidnapping me. Why is she kidnapping me?_ He thought.

He was pulled through a small opening, and then suddenly he was out in open water again. The mermaid let go of his shirt and tossed him through the water, and for a single second he floated alone in cold, dark water. Then, the mermaid reappeared. The water around him swirled and kept him upwards, stopping his chains from pulling him down. Her tail shimmered softly, gold and green lights flashing faintly in the low light. She rolled through the water, her hair spinning around her body. Suddenly she was right in front of him, her sudden stop sending her red hair flinging itself outwards in a dark backdrop. Her eyes and tail were probably the brightest thing in this cave. She scowled at him, then grabbed him by the armpits again. She looked up and with a few wiggles of her tail they were moving.

Zen wasn't expecting his head to break through the surface of the water. Automatically, he opened his mouth with a gasp, chest finally rising and falling. The oxygen was damp and didn't taste fresh-but it was better than nothing at all.

The mermaid broke the surface in front of him with much more grace. Water rolled down her neck slowly, her eyes opening slowly to stare at him. Her grip stayed tight on him.

"Where are we?" Zen asked, trying to get his breath back. He blinked, trying to get the stinging of his eyes to stop. He could see a faint blue glow coming from his right. The way his voice echoed made him think he was in a very big cave of some sort.

The mermaid shoved him towards the light. Her tail broke the surface as she kicked, sending a shower of droplets that echoed eerily throughout the cavern. "Land ho." She murmured.

Even with the warning, there wasn't much he could do. He didn't jump when he felt his arms hit against a ledge. He blinked at her. "Where are we? What are you going to do to me?"

The mermaid regarded him. She let him go and moved back. Zen had to start kicking his legs to keep him afloat, though it was a losing battle. Seeing his struggle, the mermaid gave a sigh and reached her arms around his waist. She grasped his hands, then pulled them up. His elbows bent upwards, and soon enough his knuckles scratched against a sandy ground. Desperately, he began to adjust-pulling his hands further back with a jump and a wince-those chains were unforgiving. They clinked against one another as he tried to pull himself ashore.

Just before he pulled his chest free of the water, the mermaid slammed her hands on either side of him, getting in his face. "Stop there." She ordered.

Zen froze obediently, very aware of the fact she could easily lift his chains and drop him back into the water. He swallowed, the taste of the ocean felt like it stuck to the back of his throat.

Her breath smelled like fish, and it was unnaturally warm with the cold sea around Zen's legs. "Listen well, human. Do you know what I am?"

"A-A mermaid?" Zen responded, not sure if it was the correct answer.

Her tail smacked the water, but she didn't move an inch from her position. "Yes. Do you know where I come from?"

Zen shook his head, his hair dripping water down onto his nose.

The mermaid frowned. "Do you know of my people?"

"I-I didn't know you were real." Zen managed.

That was obviously the wrong thing to say. The mermaid pushed off of the ledge, leaving him there. She glared at him, before turning and diving into the water in the way a dolphin would. Her arms went up, sending out waves of water on either side of her-like wings. Her hands were over her head before she hit the surface again. Her body arched and her tail followed where she had been. Zen was so entranced with the way her scales looked as she moved, he didn't see her splayed fin coming. It smacked him in the jaw-so hard that his hands were pushed farther up onto the land. He gasped in pain as the chains grounded against his skin.

He waited a minute, but the mermaid did not resurface.

He sighed. He rolled over around the ledge, groaning as the chains pushed at his skin. It was a miracle he wasn't bleeding yet. He tightened his fists, and pulled himself forward the best he could. Slowly he yanked his body from the water. He kept expecting the mermaid to grab his ankles and drag him back to a watery grave.

But she didn't.

He pulled himself free of the ocean's grasp. Zen let out a massive sigh of relief and flopped onto his side. Water dripped from his hair. His clothes stuck uncomfortably to his skin. The air in the cavern felt too dry after his unexpected swim. His shoulder blades ached-desperately, he wished to be rid of his chains. But the only person he could really ask was the mermaid, and something told him she wasn't exactly in the mood to help him out there.

As tempting as it was to lie there until he froze, however, he was not about to die so easily. With a reluctant sigh, he rolled and sat up. Sand stuck to him from all sides. On top of the salt, now he had to deal with the sand. He cleared his throat again and looked around.

The cavern was about the size he thought it might be. It was more water than it was land. Stalagmites and stalactites poked out of and into the water from everywhere. The edge of the cave wasn't even really visible. The roof was high up. Zen wondered where the air he was breathing came from. His ears were in a little bit of pain, so he knew he was still under the sea. He looked around some more, and as his eyes watered to help clear the salt, he thought he spotted strange crystals all around him. They were on the walls and in the roof, he even thought he saw one on one of the stalagmites. There were even a few on the little bit of land he stood on. The sand was smooth, only interrupted by those little crystals.

Right next to the water's edge, just a few steps away from him, sat a massive rock. It had indents all around it, like a bunch of footholds. Behind that, just a foot away, was a rock that was almost exactly the same. Only the top was flat. And that top of the rock was where the blue light was coming from. A set of those crystals he was seeing everywhere shone a brilliant azure. It was mesmerizing to look at directly, as it shimmered and moved. It reminded Zen of the surface, the sun shining down through it.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

The mermaid's voice made him jump. He stepped back, away from the water nervously.

She had her arms folded on the land, her tail flicking in and out of the water. Her smile was teasing, but there was still that underlying dislike.

"Um, yes." Zen managed. He sighed and tried to stretch his shoulders the best he could with the chains. Now that his life wasn't in danger anymore, his adrenaline was fading. The chains were heavy, and they pulled at his muscles constantly. He tried to smile at the mermaid. "Any chance I could trust you enough to untie these?"

For an odd moment, the mermaid's eyes shifted just slightly. As if she was afraid, or in shock that he had even asked. But it was covered quickly with a mask of calm. "No."

Zen sagged. He sat down heavily, the chains clinking. He leaned his body against the odd rock, pressing his head there. "Why did you bring me here? And why do you hate me so much?"

"I brought you here because I hate you." She responded.

"Then why do you hate me?"

The mermaid let one of her arms splash back into the water. "Tell me…what do your people know of the mers?"

"L-Like, myths and stuff?" Zen tried to clarify, still wondering why she even cared.

Her eyes narrowed and her smile faded. "Yes. _Myths_ and stuff."

"Um…" Zen tried to think. He was starting to realize the only way he could successfully get anywhere with this mermaid was if he played along. He began to rub his boots together-trying to pull them free of his feet so he wouldn't have to deal with all the seawater swirling around his already freezing toes. "Okay, well let's see…" He legitimately tried to think, while the mermaid watched his shoes with suspicion and poorly hidden curiosity. "Mermaids are half women, half fish. They lure men to their death with their voices." He finally managed.

The mermaid's eyes flicked back up to his, letting him know he should keep talking.

Zen grunted as he felt the heel to his boot slip free a little bit. "Let's see…the pirates had a song about you they ever so kindly showed to me during my time aboard-but I doubt you want to hear it. It's not exactly polite."

She lifted her shoulders. "I was going to sink that ship anyways."

Zen tried not to show how unsettling this fact was. "What else…There's one legend about Atlantis-"

She perked up, her tail suddenly smacking the water loud enough to echo.

"But, uh, the legend doesn't really say anything explicitly about mermaids." Zen suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute…you said _mers_ , earlier. So…I'm assuming mer _men_ are actually real, too?"

As easy as he had her full attention, he had lost it. He wasn't sure why this was a little disappointing to him. She let go of the ledge and began a slow swim on the surface of the water. She didn't go far, curling around in a medium-sized circle. "Yes, mermen are real. They sink ships just as much as we do." She scoffed and dipped her head under the surface. In a quick moment, she resurfaced. Water cascaded down from her hair, but she didn't blink as it rolled into her eyes. "And of _course_ the legend doesn't say anything about mers…" She suddenly made a sharp turn-interrupting her circle to lunge back towards the land. She looked at him, her hands holding her down as waves rolled onto the sand with a hissing sound. "Does the legend say anything about the people living there? Tell me more about that legend-the one about Atlantis."

"I-I don't know all that much." Zen stammered, surprised by her sudden reaction. "Something about gods determining that the Atlantians were too bad for this world. So they sent earthquakes and tsunamis and sank the city." Zen tried to shrug, though the chains made it more effort than it should have been.

The mermaid scowled. "I knew it."

"Knew…what?" Zen wasn't sure if he liked her anger.

She dipped her head under the water. Her tail flicked and sent a shower of droplets spattering across the sands. Only a heartbeat passed, and then suddenly she surged to the top of the rock next to him.

"Whoa!" Zen cried, shoving his butt backwards through the sand. His one boot popped completely off with the sudden rush.

Her fin slapped against the side of the rock. Her tail curled around it once, holding her tightly in place as she loomed over him. "The Atlantians did nothing wrong!" She shouted. Her voice echoed throughout the cavern. Her eyes glowed gold-the same color as the highlights on her scales. "It was _you_! _Your_ people! You attacked our home, burnt it to the ground and slaughtered thousands of my ancestors!"

Zen's heart was pounding. Her magnificent red hair fanned out over her shoulders, draping like a curtain and sending cascades of water roll down her body. The blue light of the crystal reflected on her skin and gave her face more shadows than usual. But as she spoke, the blue glow altered slightly.

Zen risked a glance at the crystal and saw the tips of it were turning a violent, twisted purple. Like a storm cloud sick with lightning bolts. Then he had to look back at the mermaid, as she was still shouting.

"What few people remained had to flee into the sea-permanently! They watched from the waves as the _Clarines Kingdom_ savaged the island they called home until nothing was left." The mermaid's tail fin fluttered-then turned gold. Her voice came out as a faint whisper. "And you don't even know about it."

Zen was shocked. He tried to find the words, but he had only questions. "Clarines-Clarines did that?"

The mermaid seemed to be cooling down-her flipper curled in on itself, then unfurled back to its original, emerald green. "Yes. And you should know about this, _Prince_."

He winced-and not only because the chains tugged down on his arms as he tried to shift. But he knew how to respond. He knew Clarines had grown to its current state of power with more than a few massacres. He had dealt with people like this mermaid before-albeit without eyes that changed colors. And all of those had been men with feet. "I will not justify my ancestors' actions by any means."

Clearly, the mermaid was not expecting to hear that. Her eyes flashed back to green in a single blink. She recoiled her head slightly, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Zen kicked off his remaining boot successfully, then stood. He held his chin high, the way he had been trained to do all his life. He put his pride in that stance. "But I am _not_ my ancestors. They are as distant to me as you are. I don't know their names, none of them are hailed as heroes." He met her eyes, trying to make it clear-she did _not_ scare him. "And to blame me for their actions will do nothing to cease your rage."

The mermaid looked startled for a moment, but at the end of his sentences she dipped her head to the side with a sigh. Then she rose, bringing her shoulders up and looking down her nose at him. She opened her mouth, but at that moment-there was a splash in the pool.

Both Zen and the mermaid's eyes went to the water, which was rippling. Something had disturbed it.

The mermaid muttered something in another language under her breath. It sounded like a mix between dolphin noises and actual words. Her tail unraveled around the rock.

"What is that?" Zen asked. He would have originally passed the splash as a loose fish, but her reaction told him that was not the case. He was expecting her to dive into the water, but instead she lunged for him.

In the blink of an eye, Zen was pressed to the ground. He gasped aloud, his head slamming back into the sand.

" _Silence._ " She hissed. Her tail was pinning his legs to the sand-all of her weight centered there. She straightened her upper body-an impossible feat for a human like him. She reached back and opened her satchel. She began to sift through it, casting anxious glanced back at the water.

"What's happening?" Zen tried to ask. The chains dug into his back painfully. He started to sit up, but she put her hand on his chest heavily and glared at him in warning. Zen groaned slightly and turned his head to the side. The mermaid removed her hand.

When he looked back at her, she held a small white pearl in her hand. It reflected the light of the crystal brightly. Before he could ask, she dropped it into her fist and squeezed her fingers-crushing it. She opened her hand and began to pour out the remaining bits of the pearl, but they did not fall. Zen's jaw dropped as the bits left the mermaid's hand, and levitated just a few centimeters below where she had tipped her hand over. They rolled slowly through the air peacefully.

The mermaid gently blew a single breath of air at the bits, and they instantly all shattered into dust. Then the dust floated towards the side of Zen. Zen held his breath on an instinct, trying to press himself farther down into the ground. But the dust simply went around him, and behind. Zen blinked; "what-" but then was cut off when he felt his chains shifting against his back and wrists.

He hissed in pain, and the mermaid grasped the front of his shirt and pulled him up a little bit. Her eyes weren't even on him, they were on the water. He felt her fin twitch slightly against his ankles.

His chains unraveled, and for the first time in hours, he was able to stretch his arm out. He grasped the mermaid's hand clutching his shirt, and she let go immediately. He tried to keep holding it, but she was soft and slippery-and she easily pulled free of his touch. She seemed to hesitate, watching as he fell back, but then she turned her attention back onto the water.

"Oof!" His back hit the sand. The mermaid's tail slithered off of his legs. He sat up. "Why did you-Ah!" He gasped as he was suddenly yanked to the side. His body slide across the sand, the millions of grains shifting. He felt as if he was half-buried, but then he was pulled up slightly. His shoulder slammed against the rock and his whole body reeled with pain. He clenched his teeth and turned sharply. His hair dropped a few bits of water as he watched the magic do its obviously true work.

His right wrist wasn't free of the chain. It was still tied tight around his hurt skin, while the rest of the chain had lengthened and wrapped around the rock with the glowing crystal on top of it. As he watched, the links of the chain tied themselves extremely tight, and in too fast of a way for him to follow with his eyes. But when the chain was finished, it sagged down as if nothing had happened. It was inanimate once again.

Leaving him tethered to the rock like some sort of dog.

A flare of frustration made him glare at the mermaid. "You could have-" He was cut off as she was suddenly in his face. A knife was pressed against his neck. Tip first-unusual. Normally you would press the whole side of the knife against the neck. But no, the half-fish had just the tip pressing onto his jugular.

"If you wish to breathe a minute more, you will sit here and be quiet until I return." The mermaid's eyes flashed the gold color they had earlier.

Zen swallowed slightly.

The mermaid glanced back at the water one more time, then muttered more in that dolphin-like language. She pulled back her knife and dropped it into her satchel, pinning it closed with some sort of mechanical clip.

Zen sagged against the rock, not believing it. He had some room-he could probably stand up-but he could only take a single step forward. This was getting unfair. This was the physical embodiment of his most hated part of being a prince-always having his hands either tied or at least restrained so he couldn't do all that he wished too.

He glared at the mermaid as she turned around. He was hoping he'd get to at least find some entertainment on watching her flop like a seal back into the sea, but no. She moved her tail like a snake, her human half upright. Slowly, she slipped back and forth in a weaving motion, powering herself through the sand. She dove into the water soundlessly, with barely a ripple.

Leaving him alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! The lore I've been coming up with for this fanfiction makes me want to make this a totally different novella. But I won't as I can't bother with characters (at least for now). This is a bit of a longer chapter, and hopefully you can understand all my fight scenes. Oh, spoilers, FIGHT SCENES! Which also brings me to the fact that I kind of feel like I'm going a little OP with the characters. I'm sorry if that's the case! But anyways, I hope you enjoy, and rememember, REVIEW!**

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Shirayuki scoured the cave's water. She could see through the darkness easily. But there didn't seem to be anyone inside. The cave walls were as smooth as a seal's hide-there was no place to hide. She cursed in her native tongue, Mermish. It felt odd after spending so many minutes speaking English, which she didn't really do all that often.

She looked up to the light blue glow coming from the surface. Her heart was still beating with anger. If the _Prince_ was unaware of the tale of her people, who would be? Humans really were as horrible as she was told.

But more importantly, she had heard someone speak in Mermish.

Shirayuki dove for the cave opening, her eyes open and straining all of her senses. She paused just as she could see the open water once again. What she saw caused her heart to drop into her fins.

A Sharkman floated there, pale and scaled arms crossed. His tail moved slightly against the few currents, sharp and thin like one of a Great White's. His black hair was short, floating upwards in the water as a current pushed at it. His eyes were golden, and he held a large spear in one hand.

Sharkmen were the protectors of the sea-employed by the Ocean herself. They listened only to the command of their home, and apparently could actually hear her voice speak words. Sharkmen were rare-apparently only having five of them a sea. They were notorious for keeping the amount of humans the mers killed as minimal as possible-though why no one really knew. They were Mers as much as Shirayuki was a mer-why would they be so upset over the destruction of the race that destroyed them?

To meet one in person...well, Shirayuki wasn't necessarily honored.

"No humans are allowed to live under the Surface for more than ten minutes, miss Shirayuki." Said the Sharkman. He was bare-chested, covered with light gray scales all along his skin. His muscles were toned and sharp, his jaw jutted out slightly. He had a glint in his glowing eyes Shirayuki wasn't sure she liked. The spear he held was a ragged, seaweed-wrapped weapon with an extra long tip. It was almost like one of a harpoon, but according to legends the Ocean crafted the spears out of the various bones of long-dead creatures that used to live in her domain.

"How did you know my name?" She asked.

"I know all mers." The Sharkman responded. "Do you wish to go against the laws of the Sea?"

"No!" Shirayuki put her hand on the side of the cave, not feeling safe to leave the small space. "I would never!"

The Sharkman raised his eyebrows. "Really? Well, you are."

Shirayuki bit back the pout she was feeling. "I'll kill him shortly. But he's not even in the water right now, not technically."

"The law says _under the Surface_." The Sharkman looked around, a fake expression of shock on his face. "I believe that's where we are."

Shirayuki wanted to argue, but she knew there was no way to win against the Sharkmen. She sighed. "Alright. I'm sorry, I'll kill him now."

The Sharkman uncrossed his arms. He had extra flippers underneath his forearms-most likely for speed. They were an odd mix of the gray of his scales and the paleness of his skin. "It's alright, I can manage it."

Shirayuki twitched. "No, let me. I didn't get to sink the ship-"

"Which is why you should let me kill him. You have a ship that the Sea wants to be a new reef. She's depending on you, Shirayuki. Besides, you've never killed someone up close." The Sharkman twirled the spear around his fingers. That was another odd thing about the spears of the Sharkmen-they acted like a weapon on land. Mers mostly fought with stabs and blocks instead of slashes-because the water make it difficult to properly move the weapons in long motions like that. But the Sharkmen slashed instead-their spears were blessed by the Sea.

Shirayuki bit back her irritation. "He hurt me. I want to kill him in revenge."

The Sharkman hummed. "Revenge killing-let me ask you something, Shirayuki, do you sink the humans' ships because it's a small bit of revenge for what happened to the Mers?"

Shirayuki blinked. "Don't all Mers sink them because of that?"

The Sharkman slipped his weapon into his other hand. "Perhaps. But the question is-do you feel any more satisfied? Watching their mighty ships crumble into the Sea's embrace, the men flailing uselessly around in the sea, or watching as they lose their safety from a small dinghy?"

Shirayuki paused.

The Sharkman swam forward. He put a hand on her shoulder-his skin cold and his fingers webbed. "Killing isn't a great way to get revenge. Now, go sink your ship. I have a man to kill." In a second, the gesture turned from a reassurance to an order. He shoved her shoulder aside and ducked into the small tunnel, being careful not to hit her with his tail as he swam. He kicked his fin like a shark-right and left instead of up and down.

Shirayuki watched him go, pursing her lips. His words haunted her. _Killing isn't a great way to get revenge._

She looked back to the open water. Finding the ship again-that would be annoying as well. The ocean must have pushed it miles away by now. She might have to journey for a few more days. But that might take her even into another pod's territory. While they wouldn't fight her for it, she would be questioned by their border guards. She really didn't want to reveal she had let the ship move too far from her usual sinking spot.

She looked back into the cave. Her red hair floated in her face and she angrily swept it out of the way. She supposed she had no choice, really. If a Sharkman had told her that this was what she must do, then the Ocean herself had given her an order…

But then she heard a loud splash.

How did a Sharkman kill? She knew he said otherwise, but she could like to see the body to at least know for sure the Prince was gone.

She hesitated, then turned and sped back through the tunnel.

The Sharkman wasn't in the water in the cave. Shirayuki slipped over to a tall stalagmite and broke the surface. The sounds of struggle immediately met her ears. She peeked over the edge, and gasped aloud.

To her shock, the Sharkman was pinned to the land by the Prince of Clarines. He held the chain across the Sharkman's neck, sending him into a writhing frenzy. The Prince had somehow gotten the magic spear out of the Sharkman's reach, it was dangerously close to falling back into the sea's hold. His tail slapped around wildly, trying to reach the Prince. Occasionally, the Sharkman managed to brush the Prince's back, but not as a hit. It just slipped off of his sandy back harmlessly. The Sharkman's hands were pushing at the chain, desperately trying to pull it away from his gills.

Shirayuki's own hands were still aching. Iron was a metal the mers would never willingly touch. Something about it burned like fire when it came into contact with a magical being's skin. Mers were not excluded-and apparently, nether were Sharkmen. How had the Prince known? Shirayuki had just barely touched the chains, but they still gave her a considerable burn.

 _He lied to me! He knows more than what he told me!_

Anger welled up within Shirayuki again in a massive tidal wave. She darted forward. In Mermish, she shouted. " _Let him go, you swine!"_

The Prince tilted his head, but didn't move from his position.

Shirayuki pulled her dagger from her satchel. She lunged out of the water with a mighty kick, her knife lifted over her head. She aimed to drive it straight into the back of the Prince.

But to her shock, the Prince flipped up and over the head of the Sharkman, still keeping the chain pressed against the Sharkman's neck. Shirayuki kept her dagger suspended in the air as she landed hard on the ground, next to the tail of the Sharkman. He looked at her with a surprised expression to mimic her own. But the Sharkman recovered quicker. He lifted his tail with a heave and rolled, landing on top of the human. Shirayuki jumped back as he slipped his head free from under the chains's wrath and straightened like a water snake. He wrapped his tail around the Prince's neck tightly.

The Prince gasped and grabbed at his fin, pulling and trying to dig his nails through the Sharkman's scales.

The Sharkman meanwhile slipped off of the Prince's back, landing hard in the sand on his stomach. He coughed and rubbed at his neck, Shirayuki could see the burn marks already. He really needed the touch of the Ocean to heal him, but his tail was wrapped tight around the Prince's neck.

Shirayuki flipped her tail around so it was facing the pair, her breath shaky. "Kill him." She asked the Sharkman. "Please." The threat of the iron had scared her. Let the Prince's body sit here and rot in this cave for all eternity-she couldn't believe she nearly witnessed one of her own be killed by a human.

The Sharkman gave a soft laugh. "I'm trying, miss. Believe me." He squeezed tighter.

The Prince's face turned blue. But his eyes flashed. He let go with his right hand and pressed the chain tied around his wrist to the Sharkman's tail.

The Sharkman howled again, and loosened his grip. He pulled away, and the Prince gasped for breath. He coughed, while the Sharkman lifted his tail around and grabbed the fin. He studied the wound. Iron on gills could kill a Mer instantly. On their scales-they would sometimes give them something like a limp. The scales would lose all (if any) color, and the Mer wouldn't be able to feel or move that area for a while. Luckily for the Sharkman, it wasn't a large wound. Shirayuki had once helped with an incident where a child had gotten his tail caught in an iron net. He was unable to swim for an entire month. The only way to avoid a completely dead scale, the Mer would have to have the sea's salt cover the wound. Not the water, but only the salt. .

The Sharkman hissed at the human. " _You will die a slow, watery death_." He hissed in Mermish.

The Prince lifted his wrist and stared at the iron. "If this is what's killing you so much, I think I should be grateful."

The Sharkman slithered down backwards into the water. His golden eyes glowe underneath the surface, always on the Prince. He swam along the edge, going towards his spear.

The Prince's eyes widened, seeing where he was heading. He strained against the iron unsuccessfully.

 _Good._ Shirayuki thought. With his spear, the Sharkman would be invincible. How the human had even disarmed him in the first place was a mystery.

The Prince's eyes went to her. "You're just gonna let him do this to me?"

Shirayuki flicked her tail around her body and sat up, spreading her fin. She rested her hands on top of it. "Yes. You killed my people without a second thought, why should I care what happens to only one of you?"

The Prince strained against the chain again. He waited, watching her, then the Sharkman's hand reached up from the water and grabbed the spear. He glared at Shirayuki. "Fine." He snarled. He reached up with his free hand and grabbed a single link of the chain. Shirayuki watched, as fast as he could, he pulled the chain through itself. It unknotted without a hitch, and he lunged to his feet, grabbing the chain with both, now free hands.

"Shark-!" Shirayuki turned to see the ocean swell underneath the Sharkman's tail. He loomed over the land on an ever rising wave of water, glowing purple against the reflection of the _Vidre_. The Sharkman let out a battle cry as he pointed the spear at the Prince's heart.

Shirayuki was astounded. A common myth about the Sharkmen was the _Aigua,_ the power to control the ocean's movements with just a single thought. She thought it was all fake, because the only way you could control the ocean was with the four-colored pearls that were extremely hard to find. And even then, you'd need an extreme magic level to successfully use it. There was a rumor that maybe the Sharkmen had all of them-but he would have to crush the pearl first. There was no way he could have cast the spell that fast.

The Prince didn't look phased. As the spear came down, he shifted the position of the chain just slightly. Sparks flew as the spear glided against the iron, just missing the Prince by a few inches. The Sharkmen let go of the spear, but before he could move away the Prince reached up with the chain. He wrapped it around the Sharkman's wrist, pulling tight and tying him to the spear's handle. The seaweed had ripped open along the side of the spear. It burrowed into the earth with a thud. The Sharkman howled, this time in pain, and flopped down to the sand. He writhed, twitching his fingers and trying to pull away.

The Prince stepped out of his reach and pulled the chain tight. He held it with both hands and put his weight back into his hips, burying his bare feet into the now wet sand.

The Sharkman slapped the ground helplessly with his tail. He glared at the human. _"You and your kind are worth less than the barnacles we put on your ships."_

Shirayuki couldn't believe her eyes. "How did…how did you…?" She tried to find words. A Sharkman…out done by a human?

The Prince looked at her briefly, focused on holding the Sharkman in place. "Your kind aren't the only people who have tried to assassinate me in this world. I know how to defend myself, and you used a basic sailing knot to tether me." He explained.

The Sharkman's eyes widened at his words, and he directed his glare to Shirayuki. She jumped, tightening the curl of her tail to grasp at her fin nervously. _"You underestimated him."_

 _"I did what I had to keep him here."_ She responded, trying to keep her voice even. _"Without touching the iron."_

The Sharkman sighed, then his facial features contorted in pain as the Prince tightened his grip.

"I'm guessing that's your language. Listen to me. I can't die. I have a country that needs me." The Prince spoke firmly. "So, if you don't want to have these chains tied around you forever, you'll take me back to Clarines."

The Sharkman huffed a laugh. "Getting threatened by a human is…a new one." In English, his words were slow and soft.

The Prince tipped his head. "Well, getting nearly killed by mermaids is a new one for me too."

"Do I look like a female to you?" The Sharkman sneered. He strained against the chain again.

The Prince stepped back, tightening his grip. It was then Shirayuki noticed that he had red marks all along his forearms-from where the chains had gripped him before. Did iron affect humans too? Or maybe it was just from prolonged exposure of the rough surface. "No. Sorry, mermaids and mermen." The Prince made eye contact with the mermaid, as if surprised she hadn't done anything yet.

She realized with a start she _should_ have done something. Shirayuki reached into her satchel and pulled out her knife. She looked at the human. "Let him go." She ordered.

The Prince sighed. "I was hoping that you'd just swim off and let this gentlemen take me home."

The Sharkman barked out a laugh a little like a seal. "Did you really think I would even consider it? You are supposed to be dead, by decree of the Sea herself."

"Oh, really? Then how come I'm still alive now?" The Prince pulled tight on the chains once.

Shirayuki's sympathy went out to the Sharkmen. She always considered herself to have a high tolerance for pain, but by now the chains must have been ready to break through to the Sharkman's skin. How he wasn't moving more than a twitch of his fin or fingers was beyond her.

"Because she was stupid." The Sharkman snapped, tilting his head to her.

Her sympathy lessened a little.

She unraveled her tail and straightened. She slithered towards the human, dagger in hand. She was slower on land-she hated that. But she had to try.

The human braced himself.

She tucked in her dagger, and gave him a test stab.

In the blink of an eye, he had knocked her dagger out of her hand and held it between his two fingers. He studied it. "What is this even made of?" He didn't give her a chance to respond, however. He stretched out the end of the chain. The Sharkman howled in pain. With his free hand, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the iron. Her finger tingled as the tip got near it.

"No!" She cried. She pulled her tail across the sand and knocked the feet out from underneath the human. He didn't let go of the chain, however, so it shifted down a small inch on the Sharkman's wrist.

The Sharkman grabbed his wrist in pain. _"Watch it, girl!"_ He yelled at her in Mermish.

Shirayuki slithered on top of the human's legs. She reached for her dagger, but in a flash he had spun it around in his hand and given her a small cut on the back of her knuckles. She gasped in pain and reeled upwards, away from him.

He put her dagger against her chin, the entire blade pressed against her neck instead of just the tip. "I don't necessarily want to kill you, but if you won't take me home…"

"I'm not taking you anywhere!" The Sharkman snapped. Then he looked at Shirayuki. _"Get off of him before he slits your throat open, you incompetent minnow."_

Shirayuki shot him a glare. She started to slither off of the human, and he sat up. His legs still pinned under her tail, he got right into her face.

Her heart crept into her throat. This was no ordinary human.

And that's when an idea came to her.

Although she was a little embarrassed to be doing it in front of the Sharkman, as she had never done something like this in front of one of her own people before…She shook away her embarrassment. He was about to kill her.

In the ocean, it was kill or be killed.

She lowered her chin and batted her eyelashes. The knife dug a little deeper into her neck, but it didn't break her skin. Softly, she began to sing under her breath.

 _"This is the Song of the Sea._

 _It sings to you and me…"_

The human's grip on the knife faltered. He blinked, looking stunned. Like she had just hit him between the eyes.

Shirayuki watched through her mask, interested. She had never been close enough to see her spell take affect besides just the abrupt turning of a boat.

 _"It sings to all who feel lost._

 _And even those who feel found._

 _The Song of the Sea is just for you and me."_

The Sharkmen was blinking at her, completely unaffected. But he waited, seeing her ploy.

The Prince's eyes were locked on hers. He had stopped blinking as if he confused, and instead was now leaning closer to her, eager.

Shirayuki's fin opened and closed, amused. She could probably tell him to drown himself right now, and he probably would. She sang louder, encouraged by his reaction.

 _"The Song of the Sea lists left and right._

 _The tone is never quite right._

 _It speaks of love and those lost._

 _And it speaks of danger and the urge to fight for a cause."_

He was totally hers now. His hands lowered to his sides. Her dagger fell from his hands, resting next to them uselessly. He still gripped the chain, however. He looked at it softly, as if confused to why he was holding it. He squeezed it.

It was distracting him. She grabbed his chin and pulled his gaze back to her eyes. As she sang, she ran her fingers across the bottom of his jaw.

 _"Soon you will feel what it means_

 _To sing the Song of the Sea_

 _Here with-"_

Her song was cut off with a yelp as he suddenly dropped the chain and pressed his lips to hers. He pressed his hands gently to the sides of her head, gently pushing her wet hair away from her face. His eyes were shut, but hers were wide open.

The Sharkman groaned aloud, but he immediately began to carefully pull his hand free of the chain.

Shirayuki couldn't inhale. His lips tasted salty-just like the ocean. His touch was gentle on the sides of her face, his hands warm. He pulled back softly with a gentle exhale, the air puffing over her lips as he broke contact.

His eyes were narrowed, but then he blinked-and they widened. He jumped back, holding her at arm's length. "Ah! No, I-I'm so…um, sorry! That wasn't-I didn't-" Then he grunted as the Sharkman punched him in the cheek.

He didn't go far, obviously, as Shirayuki was still on top of him. He collapsed on his side, almost immediately lifting his head.

Shirayuki was still stunned. Her fingers went to her lips. She had never been kissed before.

 _"Move away already."_ The Sharkman snapped at her.

She slithered off of the Prince and the Sharkman grabbed the Prince by the throat. The Prince gasped, clutching the Sharkman's wrist as his oxygen was cut off.

Shirayuki watched from a short distance. She couldn't believe someone had actually kissed her. And she couldn't believe that same someone was being choked to death.

"You humans. None of you can resist the spell of a maiden, can you?"

The Prince's cheeks flushed-ether from embarrassment or lack of oxygen. He glared at the Sharkman.

Shirayuki was so in shock, she didn't see the movement. But the Prince's feet suddenly were on the Sharkman's shoulders. They rolled slowly, and suddenly the Prince was on top, his feet on the ground and his back arched as the Sharkman still held his throat. The Prince straightened, pulling the Sharkman up as he held onto his throat. The Sharkman tried to use his upper body strength, but then the Prince grasped the small fin on the Sharkman's forearm. He pulled and Shirayuki gasped as he ripped the fin from the Sharkman's flesh.

The Sharkman roared and dropped immediately, blood flowing from his wound like a fountain.

The human stumbled backwards, nearly into the water. He rubbed his throat, coughing and gagging. He then lunged towards the _Vidre_ , the purple lightning making it look as if the salt in his white hair was actually stars. He grabbed the chain and untied that from the rock too easily. He pulled the chain, and the spear was pulled from the ground. The chain was still wrapped around the shaft, the Sharkman was only able to free his hand without touching the iron with his other hand.

In a massive yank, the human now wielded the weapon of the Sea.

"No!" The Sharkman yelled. He thrashed his tail and struggled around to sit up. The extra fin from his forearm dangled uselessly from his skin. "No human can wield that!"

"Oh yeah?" The Prince challenged. He pulled the now completely free chain and wrapped it around the handle and the ripped seaweed-leaving only the pointed tip free of the iron touch. "Come at me, fish-face." He dared.

The Sharkman glared. "You have tried my patience for the last time, scum of the land."

With that, a massive wave swelled over the land. The ocean looked as if it had inverted on itself. The rush of water was deafening as it blocked the rest of the cave from view, then the roof.

The Prince tensed, brandishing the spear as if he had used one all his life. "Don't do that." He warned, his voice a little shaky.

"You've proven yourself to be worthy in battle, but not worthy enough to ignore the order of the Sea." The Sharkman snarled. He lifted up on his tail, spreading his muscled arms wide. " _This_ , is you're end!"

The water fell straight down on top of them. Shirayuki was suddenly surrounded, as if the cave had flooded. She knew what was best in this situation. She let her tail hang limp and the wild currents throw her forward. She crashed into something-she hoped it wasn't the rock. Her hair rushed into her face and she had to shut her gills against the rush of all of it. It was too much.

Then, abruptly, all of the water retreated. She held her breath. Air rushed to fill the gaps, and droplets of it rained down on her skin harshly. Her tail trembled, and she finally took in a breath of air as the rain stopped.

Her heartbeat was pounding. She had never, ever, seen such control over the water. The _Aigua_ was completely terrifying.

Then she _felt_ more than heard a groan. Her fingers clutched at a soaked jacket, unfamiliar fabric. She started, her hands slipping off a shoulder and into a soaked sand bed. The grains rolled over her skin and stuck-like it was trying to hold her hand. Her other stayed on the Prince's chest as it rose and fell quickly as he coughed. He groaned and shook his head. He reached up, but stopped as his fingers brushed her arm. He opened his eyes and found hers not two inches away from his.

He froze. His mouth was open as he breathed. His eyes darted down to her lips, and hers went down to his.

She was remembering what it felt like to kiss him. She thought he might be thinking the same thing. But then she remembered the Sharkman.

She looked away, and found the Sharkman unmoved. His skin was soaked, his wound had somehow healed. The blood had washed away. He held his spear tightly in his hand, the chains gone and nowhere to be seen. The seaweed had somehow mended.

Water dripped down his chest in rivulets. His hair had been pushed backwards. His golden eyes were wide. His scales shimmered.

That's when Shirayuki realized that the _Vidre_ had turned a light, rosy pink. As she watched, it slowly began to change back into that surface blue it usually was when no one was around it, and no emotions were running high.

The Sharkman slumped. He looked to the two of them. He shoved his spear into the ground, and turned to face him. "Second Prince of Clarines, Zen Wisteria. I am to escort you back to your home immediately."


	4. Chapter 4

**The perspective switching is killing me. I've never done it before. This is like, giving me vertigo or something. Ugh. Hello! Welcome back or welcome to Above and Below, chapter 4! I'll be honest, I don't think this is my best, but I worked until it was midnight and I was tired, so! Haha, sorry. I hope you enjoy it! I will see you all next time! Remember, Review!**

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"So, again, let me get this straight." Zen started. He was kneeling on an assortment of driftwood, tied together with thick branches of seaweed. The sun beat down on his back harshly, he was going to be seriously burnt if still even alive by the time he got back to Clarines. At each rise and fall of each wave, Zen was certain he'd slip into the sea and the Sharkman would just continue on. Leaving him to drown, or worse, at the mercy of the red-haired mermaid who insisted upon coming along. "You're telling me you can hear the Sea, and you obey her every order?" The Second Prince of Clarines continued, addressing the Sharkman.

The Sharkman sighed. He was pulling the driftwood forward a good three meters ahead to make sure his tail didn't smack the board, a trail of seaweed tied to the board wrapped around his palm. His brown hair looked lighter in the sun, and his fin occasionally broke through the surface to swish side to side. "Yes." He extended the word, annoyed.

"And the Sea wants me to live…why? I mean, not that I'm not grateful or anything." Zen clutched to the edge of the board nervously as they rose on a wave. His fingers stung against the overpowering salt. The air tasted of it, smelled of it. Zen loved the ocean, but this was the ocean he never wanted to see. This was the ocean that was calm, but calm in the way an executioner was. This ocean was a cold murderer, and it would be very thorough in its work.

"I wasn't told." The Sharkman responded. His head dipped through the waves instead of lifting and falling with them. Zen guessed it was nicer to breathe water than air with gills.

"And you're okay with that? You're fine with just blindly following orders?" Zen asked, incredulous. As the Second Prince, Zen made sure all of his orders were given with reasons-unless they were too personal. Then he only told his aides, who fabricated a believable story close enough to the truth or just did it themselves.

"The Sea is never wrong." The Sharkman said, then vanished under the swell of a wave.

Zen frowned and looked to the red mermaid. She swam behind him, looking despondent and unhappy. She was extremely beautiful with the sun alighting her features. Her red hair flickered like an underwater flame. Her green eyes caught the light of the sun and sea and shimmered. Her scales glistened and shimmered. Her fin opened and closed easily. She kept her head above water, occasionally for long breaks though she would keep it underneath. "Why are you coming? I thought you hated me." Zen asked her. He was desperate to forget the kiss-the wild, uncontrollable urge that had grabbed him and forced him to move. He felt awful-he was never one to put his hands on a women without her permission first. Not to mention as well, that was his first kiss. And he hadn't even been himself, hadn't been in control. Her lips felt soft and amazing, salty like the sea, but they didn't sting like the actual ocean's salt did. Guilt ate him alive. He wanted to apologize, but he did remember the way she had been singing to him before it happened.

"I do hate you." She responded after a moment. "But I want to see the land. I've never been near any human places Above Surface, besides their ships."

"Oh." Zen could understand her curiosity there. After all, he was tempted himself to ask more about the mers underwater world. What was that fabric she was wearing? Did she live in a cave like the one she had trapped him in? What was that crystal that changed colors-and did she rely on it for light?

After a second, he realized he was aiming all of his mental questions towards the mermaid instead of both of his escorts. He shook his head and clutched to the board again as he rose on another swell. "Are you sure he's okay with you coming?" He nodded to the Sharkman.

The mermaid shrugged. She had gone under the swell, which had put her next to him instead of behind now. "He hasn't said anything yet, and it isn't as if he doesn't know I'm here."

Zen hummed and slumped down on the board. He was sitting crisscross, and he wished he could slip into a more comfortable position. He had been like this for the past three hours. If they kept going at this rate, they would be on the ocean for days.

He scanned the horizon, but of course there was nothing. Absolute nothing. He took a steadying breath. Zen lowered his gaze down instead to the top of the board, counting the random little specks of salt that he could see.

"Are you afraid or something? You seem shakier here than you did in the cave." The mermaid asked.

"What? Oh, no. I'm fine." Zen glanced at her. He wasn't sure he should share, he didn't think he could trust her. But at the same time, he felt an urge too.

"You're not." She dipped her head through a wave, her fin breaking the surface as she did so. It fanned out against the sunlight, sending little droplets all along Zen's body. He shivered, the sun warm but the breeze cold. "You're acting as if a shark's hunting you."

The Sharkman turned, obviously he hadn't been paying attention. "Did you call me?"

"Oh, no. We were talking about sharks. Great Whites and the like." The mermaid called.

The Sharkman nodded and turned away again.

"Do you have a name? Other than Sharkman, I mean." Zen ventured.

"I do."

There was a silence, the only sound the sea as it rose and fell.

"What is it?" Zen prompted, finally. He wasn't even positive the Sharkman would respond.

The Sharkman glanced back, then looked away. "I'm Obi." He said.

Zen blinked. "Alright. Obi. And you are…?" He looked at the mermaid.

She met his eyes. "What's yours? I know your title, that's all."

"I'm Zen." Zen found it odd that he hadn't been properly introduced to either of them yet.

"Zen." She repeated.

An odd chill he blamed on the breeze ran down his spine. "And yours?" He asked again.

"I'm Shirayuki." She stated.

"Shirayuki." He repeated. He liked the sound of the word.

"Hold on, Zen." Obi called faintly. He ducked under as a wave a bit bigger than the rest swelled in front of him.

Zen plastered his upper body down to the board, clutching it tightly. His board felt like it was turning vertical for a second, but there was a sharp pull and he powered over the top of the wave, sending up a large spray of white water. He landed back down harshly. He groaned, pushing himself up and trying to blink the salt out of his eyes.

"This is taking a long time." Shirayuki said, resurfacing.

Obi looked back. "Miss, I'm sorry to say it's because of you."

Shirayuki's tail faltered, and she fell behind for a moment. She caught up easily, however. "O-Oh. I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't go then."

Obi lifted his shoulders-a motion Zen could barely see because of the water. "I was going to let you come along for a while, but I will have to send you away at some point."

Zen wasn't sure if he wanted to be alone with the Sharkman. But then again, Obi had proven himself more trustworthy than Shirayuki had. Obi hadn't attacked with those odd magical pearls-another thing Zen was dying to ask more about. At least Zen knew he stood somewhat of a chance against Obi. Then again, Obi could always simply plunge him into the sea.

Zen shook the thoughts away. He wasn't exactly safe with either of the fish-folk. He brushed his hair to the side, letting it plaster to itself so it wasn't against his forehead.

Shirayuki looked thoughtful. She looked up at Zen, and for a second Zen thought she was going to ask him for advice. But then she dipped underneath a wave, and resurfaced facing Obi. "I'll stop coming with now, then. I need to start heading home-or after the pirates."

"Are you going to kill them?" Zen blurted. He strongly disliked the pirates, but he wouldn't wish a watery grave on them. It wasn't as if they had targeted his people or anything.

She looked at him a little bitterly. "Yes. I've apparently been ordered to by the Sea." She looked at Obi.

Obi ran his free hand across the top of the water benevelonetly. "She never ordered you." His voice was soft. "She only wanted you too."

Shirayuki shrugged. "Might as well be the same thing."

Obi flipped onto his back to look at them. It was odd to see a shark tail working upside down. His eyes were a dirty gold in the sunlight. They looked smaller than usual. His skin didn't look as pale as it had underwater and in the dark cave. His hair stuck to the sides of his head. "It's not. The Sea has her orders, those must be followed. Some of her wants don't have to be, however."

"Are you saying I _shouldn't_ sink the ship?"

"I'm saying it's ultimately your choice." Obi responded instantly. He flipped back to his stomach and ducked under another wave.

Zen sighed. He didn't understand how the Sea could communicate. It was an entire body of water, after all. But then again, if mermaids actually were real, so many other things could be.

Shirayuki began to lag. "Um, I'll just go then."

The Sharkman lifted his hand in a wave out of the water in acknowledgement.

Zen twisted as the Sharkman refused to stop. He watched, unsure if he should wave or not. Shirayuki stopped following, she began to tread the water instead. The ocean immediately worked to pull them apart, and she disappeared behind each wave. "Bye, Shirayuki!" He finally called.

She didn't respond. Instead, she lunged out of the water completely. Her tail glistened in the sunlight, and the sea seemed to reach up with her. She bent backwards, her hair fanning out wildly. A trail of water seemed to follow her, the salt catching the bright light and shimmering. Her hands broke the surface, and when her tail vanished with hardly a splash right into a wave, she didn't resurface.

"You might want to hang on." Obi said.

Zen turned and grabbed the board, expecting another larger wave. Instead, however, the water swelled up underneath him. He yelped and clutched tighter. In front of him, Obi lifted his arms up. It swirled around the Sharkman's waist, holding him upwards. Then he leaned forward, and the two waves broke through the surface, powering them forward at the speed of a fast ship. The wave loomed over Zen's head, and he worried it would roll over on top of him. The board rattled and shook as the wave consistently pushed at it.

He ended up kneeling, his boots stuck into the wave and sending up a spray. "Uh, Obi?" He tried to call. However, he was so focused on keeping the board steady underneath him, he couldn't really bother to raise his voice.

Parts of the seaweed tie began to unravel quickly under his hand. He tried to lift his knee to pin it down, and that's when the board snapped in half under him. "Obi!" He shouted as he plunged back into the depths. He kept his eyes closed, so all he could feel was a hard thump over the back of his head, and the world immediately went black.

* * *

"Are you alright?! Hey, can you hear me?! Oh, Yatsufusa, can you help me carry him?" The voice was low, but feminine.

Zen groaned. His head was spinning, and all he could taste was salt water. His arm twitched when he first tried to move it, but it responded well on the second try. He pulled it forward, hot sand dragging through his fingers. He pressed his palm down and pried his cheek away from the beach, blearily opening his eyes.

A seagull cawed nearby. There was a gentle lullaby of the sea as it rocked back and forth over the sand. _Shhhhhhhh, shhhhhhhhhhhhhh_. Zen couldn't feel the sun on his back, but his clothes had turned stiff and crispy from its heat.

"Are you alright? Let us help you." The voice said again. Warm hands gently wrapped around his back, pulling him up to his knees.

Zen blinked, his eyes feeling crusted together. When he managed to actually open them, he realized he was staring at a smooth field of golden sand. Far in the distance, a cliff rushed to met the sea. Waves collided against the land and burst in a million little droplets. He lifted his head, although the motion made him wince. But he managed to see the shoreline-houses resting over a line of carefree beach grass. There was the seagall who had cawed, plucking at a piece of washed up seaweed closer to the grass. Zen turned his head to the right.

The women who was brushing sand off of his front and off his arms had long, dirty blonde hair. Her eyes were the rare color of purple you see in sunsets occasionally. She had two red earrings that caught Zen's eyes. Her outfit was a skirt that went just past her knees, and a purple shirt. A white jacket covered the length of the sleeves. "Can you stand? My goodness, what happened to you?"

 _Good question_. Zen thought. "I…" His voice was hard and dry. He cleared it and started again. "I…I was thrown…overboard." That was all he could get out without his voice cracking. That had happened at first, then…something about a red-haired mermaid? It was a little fuzzy.

"Overboard!" The women gasped. She turned and looked up at her companion. This was a male man with a scarf wrapped around his head. He wore well-loved white pants and a purple shirt. He studied the horizon, lifting his hand to block the lowering sun from shining into his face.

"Who tossed you overboard?" He asked. This man must have been Yatsufusa, the one the women had asked something of earlier.

"P-Pirates." Zen managed.

"Oh, dear. Alright, you can tell us more later. After a good night's sleep, and a good meal, and water." The women grasped him by the underarms and stood. He was taller than her by only a little. He tried to press his weight into his feet, and managed to stand for only a heartbeat before his knees began to shake. They gave out suddenly, and Yatsufusa had to lunge to catch him.

"Whoa, there. Easy now." Yatsufusa twisted and hooked his arms under Zen's knees. With a heave and a slight jump, he hoisted Zen onto his back. While Zen had been taller than the women, Yatsufusa was a little bit taller than the Second Prince.

Zen's head was swimming again. He protested meekly, but it came out as such a low stutter neither of the people could hear him. They didn't know who he was, obviously. But then again, Zen could have been in a different country for all that he knew. At least they spoke English.

He stared at the sea, the sun in his eyes. Yatsufusa started to walk, the women right next to him with her hand on the back of Zen's head worriedly. But Zen's focus was only on the shoreline. It rushed forward, then retreated, leaving various trails of bubbles and causing little sand dollars to pop. The sun was slowly lowering, but he wondered about what had really happened out there.

He remembered a mermaid with a beautiful green tail, and gorgeous red hair, and the most amazing eyes he had ever seen. He remembered the feel of her salty lips against He remembered being completely surrounded by blue light, the surface far , and a flush of gold running through her expanding and contracting fin. Then he remembered sparks flying, literally, as he used a chain to deflect a spear. He remembered a slippery and powerful fin slapping his back, and the hissing of something burning. He remembered a crystal that changed color, and sharp, golden eyes. He remembered the feeling of soggy driftwood, and of a mad rush of water. That was about it.

Was it all a dream?


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm so sorry - ack, wait. Forgot to say hello. HELLO! Okay now I'll launch into the apology. I'M SO SORRY ITS BEEN LIKE HALF A YEAR. I mentioned that I was in starting college in the beginning of the year? Yeah, well, I'm in college for creative writing. This means that I have written more in the past year than I have THE REST OF MY LIFE. Good GOD that was hard. And I did alright grade wise, thanks for asking. Lol, anyways! It's summer, which means I get my mermaid itches and that includes in my storytelling. So we're back in this wonderful world that is just only beginning to expand! Hopefully, _hopefully,_** **I get back to writing this kind of fun fantasy now that it is summer! I hope you enjoy this chapter and look forward to more, as the plot is beginning to come together. Bye for now, and remember, review! (Lol I wrote reviee and it sounded funny in my head. Just thought I'd mention that typo but not keep it)**

* * *

Zen didn't mean to go to the beach again.

It was a horrible habit that always sent Garack and Yatsufusa into a frenzy, making them run down the dunes calling his name. Then, once they found him, Garack would examine his skull and make him go through a so called "sanity test" to see if he was alright. After all, what person in their right mind would _want_ to go back to his almost grave?

But he couldn't help it. He remembered the pirates - the way they had spat on his boots and kicked at him. He remembered the night that he was taken from his honor guard on the way back to the castle - stolen from his own tent. He remembered the songs the pirates sang while they sang over the high seas. Out over the horizon, there wasn't much else to do but sing and make music. Unfortunately, away from all of land's expectations, the words turned crass and gaudy at best. One song Zen remembered was about mermaids and how absolutely stunning a night with one would be. It both repulsed him to remember the lyrics, and stirred something within him. Mermaids…

He had _seen_ a _real_ mermaid. Heck, he had _kissed_ her, if his distorted memory was right.

Zen felt a blush rush to his cheeks at the memory. He scowled at his own embarrassment and ruffled his hair, discarding specks of sand from his fingers. Then he coughed heavily, feeling his eyes water with the pain of it rattling his chest. It felt as if the air wasn't what his lungs wanted to breathe. Then came the grueling pain, where it felt like his bones were trying to leave his body. He groaned, holding his stomach and resting his forehead on his knees. For a moment, the pain stayed. He thought about calling out for help, but just before he took in the breathe the pain began to fade. He slumped in relief and pulled himself back into a normal sitting position.

He was a Prince of the Clarines Kingdom, and the castle was no doubt throwing a silent tantrum over his whereabouts across the country. Garack insisted she would return him to the castle as soon as she was sure of his health. The random attacks of pain like he had just had kept pushing the recovery time. It was up to Yatsufusa to wait for a knight to come to the town and tell him of Zen's reappearance while the Prince himself healed. The poor man went out to the roads everyday to watch for someone he could trust to tell. If one did not appear by the time Zen was ready to travel, the three intended to make the week long journey to the castle themselves.

Zen let some sand trickle through his fingers again, finding the touch of it soothing. No one in the town had recognized him yet. There wasn't really anyone to, honestly. This little town was as far away from the castle as it could be, and Zen had never been here before. The drawings that they had of him in the local taverns were from when he was a mere child. He looked completely different, and the pictures were not in color to point out his white hair.

Zen picked at a piece of his hair. From so many days in the sun it had officially bleached into pure snow white. Usually, it was just little more blonde colored.

Even just lived in this port town for a few days, Zen could understand it. It felt like a tiny pocket of the world, like it's own island. Disconnected from the mountains behind it, it lived off the sea. Zen could see it as a retirement home, although retirement was nothing but a untouchable dream for the likes of royal blood like himself.

Zen considered the town's ignorance and isolation a blessing. He was not in the right mind space to face his royal life. All Zen wanted was to try and sort out his jumbled memories. He had a sinking feeling that the answers lie in the very far, unforgiving ocean.

Zen gasped at a memory of a sound - the sound of soft singing. He jumped to his feet, and the world turned purple. He slipped on nothing and fell back to the sand with a groan. "Okay, not ready for fast motions." He noted. He took a minute to steady his breathing, then pulled himself from the soft sand. He brushed away the grains and found a little hermit crab had grabbed the lapel of his jacket. He sighed and removed it delicately, and set it down on the sand. He stood again, listening. Eventually, he slumped. Somehow, the gentle lullaby of the waves eating at the sand had sounded like a woman's voice to him for a moment. A familiar voice.

Zen took a step back. "Maybe I am crazy." He thought out loud, his voice sounding weird and off to him. He stared fearfully at the foam where the waves met the shoreline. As much as they terrified him, they also called to him.

He ripped his gaze away and stumbled up over the dunes, heading to Garack's to once again take a sanity test, and maybe throw up while he was at it.

* * *

Shirayuki was not feeling well.

She had returned home just yesterday, after being unsuccessful in finding the pirate ship that had taken Zen hostage. The entire experience left a bitter taste in her mouth, like she had swallowed some of her own herbs.

Oh wait, she just had some.

She groaned and pressed her head to the cool stone of her cave. The lighting was a ghastly green, all of the _Vidre_ in her house responding to her feelings. She wished that they could have aligned themselves with something different, as the shades of green didn't help her throbbing eyesight.

She was sitting on a flat spire of rock that let her see out her window. Enchanted magically, nothing could come in that she didn't like, and it let her watch the different colors of her village flicker as mers swam out and about. Her home had a wonderful view of the shopping center, as she was usually part of it. Her herb shop was the front half of her home, but she had closed it up to allow herself a few days of rest.

This unfortunately had alerted her homepeople to her sickness. All day today she had been forced to receive care packages and well wishes. While their worry made me feel loved and happy, she also was not in the mood to see any person be they human or mer. Still, thankfully now she could get by at least a week without needing to work for food.

 _Human or mer…_

A piercing pain spasmed through Shirayuki and she gasped aloud, covering her mouth and clasping a hand over her stomach, though that was not where the pain was. The pain was in her hands and on her lips. Still, the pain was so immense she thought she might vomit.

After a minute, she removed her hand. She slumped heavily against the door, her tail twitching. She wasn't sure what her body wanted from her. Every so often she would have these sort of attacks, where it felt like her bones were trying to move inside her skin. Sometimes it would only happen in her arms, other times in her tail, but always in her lips. There would be the urge to vomit, the urge to sneeze, the pounding of a headache. She wasn't sure how to cure this with her herbs, so she stuck to the simple numbing and sleeping mixes she made. Shirayuki assumed she had to let her body sort this out herself.

Meanwhile, her mind was reeling.

In the span of a few days, she had met a Sharkman. She had met a human, and not only that, _kissed_ one. She had witnessed the _Aigua_ in all its terrifying might. And she had failed to sink a pirate ship. But her mind always went back to the human prince. She wondered why the Sharkman - or, no, that would be the _ocean_ had decided to let him live. She wondered if he was alright, then got mad at herself for caring. She also wondered if he would tell the tale of what he had learned, and if anyone would even believe him.

Her eyelids blinked slower than usual. So with a sigh she forced herself away from the wall. Keeping her hand on it at all times, she swam up around all of her things and let herself drop into her bed. Her mattress was a bed of soft kelp grass, woven just right to support her and also still be as soft as a mother's arms. She relaxed immediately and ran her hands across the strands, liking the touch of it. It was calming, as her herbs took effect and she closed her eyes for as fitful of a night's rest she could get.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hurr-durr look at me : "hey guys I'm on summer so this'll come faster" - ugh. Hello and I'm sorry for the wait! Things start to pick up again in this chapter, which is poorly written but I'm going through a slump so we're all just going to work with it - yes, yes? Good good. I will say that I love the lore and the rules of this universe I made up. If you're one of those lovely rereaders : 1, you're my favorite. 2, I promise one day this fanfiction will disappear and the next time you're at a book store you might spot a familiar title in the NEW BOOKS section. Lol, love you all lots and thanks for reading! Remember, review!**

* * *

"Zen!" Someone called.

The Prince of Clarines tensed. A wince contorted his face and he kept it there as he slowly turned. The tide sloshed around his ankles with the motion, and a small wave careened into his heel. He was standing just where the warm sand met the cold water, the foam hissing around his toes.

Yatsufusa stood there, his arms crossed and his weight leaning into his hip. He reminded Zen of Mitsuhide sometimes when he chided him. The thought made his wince deepen. He missed Mitsuhide - and no doubt his friend missed him too. But the pull of the ocean was smothering.

"I'm sorry." Zen stated. He couldn't describe the feeling to Yatusfusa. Or anyone, for that matter. It was impossible to explain what Zen didn't even know himself. The Prince's insides must look something like the mushy ground underneath his foot. He felt the alluring solidly of the land call to him, the sand. And he felt the teasing rush of the sea whisper to him. It was like one called to his heart, and one called to his mind. But it wasn't that simple. Sometimes his heart yearned for the comforts of the castle and to be back with Mitsuhide and Kiki. Sometimes it wanted to be somewhere over the horizon. The same went for his brain. It just depended on the day. More recently it depended on how sick he felt.

And today, his heart yearned for the sea. Despite his brain trying to backpedal away from the shore. For his brain had access to his eyes, and his eyes could see the wall of black clouds rushing towards the shore. Purple lighting danced around the curls of the puffs, and reached to stroke the sea out on the horizon. The wind already pushed at Zen's chest as if in warning. It combed back his hair and reminded him of the pirates plank. Thunder grumbled hungrily in the distance.

Yatsufusa heaved a great sigh and looked up at the approaching storm. "This needs to stop." Yatsufusa had said that line many times before over the past week.

Zen coughed into his sleeve and reluctantly stumbled out of the water's grip. The foam stuck to his skin, bubbles all slowly popping and the sand clutching at his weight. "I know." He murmured. He reached down and grabbed his shoes, deciding to simply hold them instead of struggle to put them on.

Yatsufusa tugged on his headscarf. "That storm has driven even the _fisherman_ away from the sea. You should be helping us board down the house, not staring at the horizon."

"I know, I know." Zen grunted as pain zig zagged through his body. His legs nearly gave out on him and he paused to let the ache travel through him. When it passed, Yatsufusa put his hand on Zen's shoulder and arm. He helped hoist him through the sand. "I said I was sorry." Zen managed.

"I don't understand this. You were nearly killed, it's a miracle you washed ashore. Why do you want to go back?" Yatsufusa mused out loud. He sounded frustrated.

Zen hung his head. "I can't explain it."

Yatsufusa took a deep breath, then seemed to swallow his annoyance as thunder crackled through the air. It was loud enough to send chills down Zen's back. "Can you please walk a little faster?"

Zen held a board against the whistling wind. He felt very weak, so he simply leaned his weight against the old wood. Yatsufusa's hammer jarred him with each strike of the nail.

Garack studied him as she lit a few candles. The dark home felt like it had somehow sunken into the ground, or maybe that was just the sickness. The low lighting was relieving to his eyes, he kept his gaze away from any candles. Garrack had shadows moving on her cheeks from the candle she just lit. "Zen, you look worse than normal."

"Thanks." He grunted.

"You know what I meant." Garack shook the match she was holding until the flame went out.

Zen grunted as a powerful blast of wind nearly tossed him from the board. He readjusted. "I'm not sure what's wrong." That was a bit of a lie. His heart was screaming plainly at him what was wrong. Only now, it felt like his mind was slipping away from the opposite mentality and listening to his heart for a change. He felt like he was fighting with himself to stay on the land.

"Where's the pain? Same place?" Garack asked, stepping up on the dresser they put in front of the lower boards. Without permission, she pressed her hands to his chest and his neck, feeling his heartbeat.

Zen puffed out his exhale. "Same place, just worse." Focusing on the pain should have helped clear his head, but it did the opposite. He groaned as Garrack added a little pressure. She took her hands away with a apologetic look.

"Garack, can this wait a few minutes more?" Yatsufusa said around the nail he was holding in his mouth.

She pursed her lips, and Zen could tell she wanted to say no. But she stepped off the desk and back down to the floor. She turned away to light more candles around the house.

Zen winced as the wind nearly sent him and the board flying. His skin stuck to the top of the desk thanks to the salt water, so being pushed made his skin make an uncomfortable rubbing sound.

Yatsufusa finished the nail and went to do the last one. "I'll try to hurry." He promised Zen.

Zen inhaled and he nodded. He tried to focus on breathing. In and out. The pain only made him think he couldn't breathe, so he was trying to prove himself wrong. He closed his eyes, listening to the consistent whine of the wind as it rammed into the wood behind him. That was his mistake.

Through the wind and the rest of the storm, he thought he heard something else. The whistling of the wind quieted in his mind, and the pattering of the rain as it hailed on the house seemed to slow. Instead, he heard the swish of the waves as they ripped at the sand. Even farther, on the horizon, he heard a faint voice singing softly.

He couldn't make out the words, but the voice sounded so familiar, so soothing, he gasped aloud. He flung open his eyes and turned. His body felt like it was on fire. His sight was blurry, and his eyes dilated until they felt like they were going to pull from his face. He let out a guttural long sound of longing. The sound made Yatsufusa jump with shock and slam the hammer into his nail. He hissed in pain and stumbled backwards. Zen slammed his hands against the board as if he were in a trance. He curled his hands into fists and tried again, eventually hitting the board like he was trying to make a beat. Dun. Dun. Dun. Dun.

Yatsufusa fell back and off the dresser he had been standing on and onto the floor. He groaned as he slammed his head into the floor. Garrack gasped and ran over, grabbing his head carefully and looking up at Zen. "Zen! What are you doing?!"

Zen didn't respond. He pounded on the wooden board with his two fists. Again and again. He couldn't think, he could barely see, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He heard _that_ voice, and that's all he needed. It was _hers._

" _Zen!_ " Garrack shouted.

Yatsufusa tried to stand, but just before he sat up Zen grabbed the top of the board with his fingertips. He pulled, pushing his weight down into his arms. The board cracked with a sickening tear and then the wind and rain rushed through the house. The rain and wind sent Zen's clothes ruffling around him, the wreckage of the board making a V around his legs. Hail poured inside, all the candles in the room were snuffed out in less than a second.

"What are you doing?" Yatsufusa demanded, yelling over the wind.

Zen glanced back, his eyes wide and primal. The usually bright blue of his eyes was darker, the color of the deepest sea. Whatver it was that made Zen, Zen wasn't there anymore. His hair flew around his head, white hair glowing blue for a millisecond with a bolt of lightning that ripped through the sky. Then Zen turned, taking a deep breath through his nose. He leapt through the window and raced towards the beach, out of sight and into the depths of the storm.

* * *

Shirayuki was in so much pain, she thought the only thing she could do was sing. She was resting on a underwater rock formation, just a few yards away from the surface. She watched the waves rush against each other, her tail wrapped around the rock tightly to keep the wild currents from stealing her. The world was completely dark around her, only the faintest bit of light came from her reflective scales. When lightning broke over Above Surface she would close her eyes and still see the flash.

Shirayuki was singing about nothing in particular. Just letting the words flow from her heart. She sang about her pain, but that seemed to only make it worse. So now she stared up at the surface, singing about how she felt a little like the waves crashing against each other. She asked why the sea was raging so harshly tonight, or if it was because of the sky that the ocean was forced to move like so.

A rushed current cut her off and her hair rushed upwards. She was nearly pulled from her perch, but she tightened her grip with her tail and pulled her hair back down. She took a deep breath to continue singing, when a hand reached out of the dark of night and covered her mouth.

She let out a muffled shriek and grasped the wrist, but when she felt another fin brush her scales she paused long enough to see the pair of golden eyes glaring at her.

"Mmhmm?" She tried to ask.

Obi the Sharkman swam up closer into her view. "Stop it. You need to stop singing." Obi's voice was hard and agitated.

She blinked, but nodded once to let him know she would stop.

Obi removed her hand, and she immediately turned her head away to cough. It was so fierce and gripping Obi grasped her shoulder. "Miss, are you alright?"

Shirayuki looked up at him, her eyes dilating. "No." She groaned. "What are you doing here?"

Obi reached up and felt her forehead. He frowned. "You remember Zen?"

Shirayuki nodded and rubbed at her eyes to try and clear her vision. "Of-Of course."

"He's sick. Like you. And you're singing is calling him back to the sea." Obi brushed her hair behind her ear and tried to lift her from her perch.

"W-Wait. He can't hear me. He's thousands of miles away, right?"

Obi nodded. He touched his lips and looked up to the surface. "But you kissed him."

"He kissed me!" Shirayuki argued, feeling her cheeks get hot. She unraveled her tail from her perch and staggered. Her fin wouldn't open for a scary moment, but when it did she let out a sigh of relief and straightened. Could she even swim in this strong of a storm?

"Whatever." Obi snapped. "The point is a human and a mer have never once before kissed. You've both gotten sick because of that."

"I...I don't understand."

"I do, the Sea told me. You've intertwined your fates."

"Wh-What? What do you mean?" Shirayuki swallowed, her gills felt like they were clogging up.

"As we speak, your boyfriend is going to drown himself trying to get to you." Obi twirled his spear and looked up again. "We need to save him. If he dies, you'll die too."

Shirayuki's heart nearly stopped. She started to feel sick – vomit sick. "Obi…I don't…I don't think I can…make it in time."

Obi smirked, his eyes glinting in the dark. " _You_ don't have the _Aigua_." He grasped her around the waist and thrust his spear towards the surface.

Shirayuki started to black out, but she felt the water push up under her fin before the golden light from Obi's eyes faded.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello land people and mers alike! Had to make that joke at some point. Welcome to then next chapter of Above and Below Surface! So, fun fact: this story has taken a massive toll in my head and you may actually have about 20 more chapters coming your way. That fact makes this the longest fanfiction I have ever taken on. Or, it could be shorter than that and this won't be that long. We'll find out together, won't we? Anyways, this chapter is a little shorter, but this is all relevant so pay attention! I hope you're all having as great as a summer as I am, and I'll see you next time! Remember, Review!**

* * *

All Zen could taste was salt. All he could see was a nightmarish blue, almost black. Bubbles ran across his skin, his clothes were powerfully ripped back and forth across his body. Air was something few and far between, and it came with a mouthful of fresh water from the furious sky. The ocean battered at him from all angles. His arms felt like lead, his legs were barely responding to his commands. Or, not his commands. The Sea's commands. He heard her voice, calling out to his heart and soul. No matter what pain his body was in, he absolutely had to let his heart find her.

* * *

Shirayuki woke in the embrace of the sea. That was how it usually was, but this time she was actually being held. She could move her fin, but she wasn't going anywhere. The water felt heavier around her torso. It wasn't a trapped feeling, it was like a hug. She sighed in content, because for some reason it made the sickness feel a little better.

"Are you awake?" A familiar voice asked.

Shirayuki opened her eyes and stared up at the golden eyes of the Sharkman, Obi. His pale skin was illuminated by the dancing reflection of sunlight on water. That was what woke her. How could there be sunlight on the water, if behind obi there was a cave roof?

She tried to sit up and found she couldn't. Her hands pressed down on a soft moss bed, and her scales brushed against the spongy floor. "Where-Where am I?" She asked Obi.

"Still underwater." Obi promised. He lifted his tail and swam above her to her other side to demonstrate. She watched the light dance over his shark tail and over the wickedly sharp blade of his weapon.

Shirayuki lifted her arms with no amount of small effort. Her hands brushed against smooth stone. She was lying in some sort of circle, just big enough to fit her. She turned her head and her eye ducked under what looked and felt like an extra surface. It was like she was lying in another form of water that refused to mix with the usual salt. It was a lighter blue, brighter than even the sky. Lights danced all around her, dipping in and out of the water like small water snakes. One whipped through her red locks and she felt the tingle on her scalp. "What-What is this, then?"

"This is called The Bed of Light. It is a gift to the royal family from the Sea." Obi explained, looking out towards something Shirayuki couldn't look up to see.

"The Royal Family?" Shirayuki repeated. The Royal Family was not her favorite group of mers. They ruled the oceans. They had come to power after Atlantis sunk according to legend, although there's no need for them now. As far as Shirayuki and a good amount of other mers were concerned, the only ruler of the Sea was the Sea herself. But the family remained in power. They used their military force, riches, and fear to keep their self-proclaimed crowns.

"Yes." Obi said patiently. "The Bed of Light is a healing spring that can halt death." He met her eyes and a chill ran through Shirayuki. "You're right on the brink right now. You have to stay here. If you leave this bed for even a moment, you will die."

"But what about Zen? Didn't we have to go to him?"

Obi nodded. "We do. But you can't survive the journey. I'll go and bring him here, to us."

"How will he breathe?"

Obi switched his spear from one hand to the other. "The Sea will bless him. Now, stay here. Try to rest." Obi turned then halted. His lips pursed then he straightened his spear. "Hello, you're Majesties." He greeted.

Shirayuki tried to lift her head. She just barely got a glimpse of the gleaming gold crown on a shock of smooth gray hair before she felt faint and lied back again.

"Sharkman. What is the meaning of this? Who is this women?"

"This is Shirayuki. By order of the Sea she is to remain here until I come and receive her." Obi's voice was carefully neutral. He looked relaxed but almost bored.

"Now see here, this is ours to give and take." The voice was hard and rough, accented in a way that oozed luxury.

Obi's nostrils flared and he slammed the butt of his staff on the ground. It was hard enough that Shirayuki could feel it through the soft moss she was lying on. "The Sea has told you before. You are _allowed_ to call yourself King and Queen only as long as you obey Her. If you refuse this girl her right, the Sea will easily destroy your castle and your history."

Shirayuki could almost sense the King's anger. But he said; "I spoke out of surprise. Please, go about your business. I wish you well."

Obi pointed a long finger in the direction of the King. "You will not touch Shirayuki. Leave her be, and go back to your castle. The Sea is always watching." With that, Obi nodded grimly at Shirayuki and launched through the water, his tail whipping him forward.

Shirayuki let out a soft sigh as a line of light ran its way through the small bit of water over her throat. It sent the surface rippling and Shirayuki felt a cool touch over her throat as it passed. Her eyelids felt heavy, but she looked up as the King and Queen looked down at her with frowns. The King was a burly man, his long gray hair pinned back by a starfish clamp. His tail was a dulled blue with silver lines around the edge of his fins. He's face seemed stuck in a permanent snarl, and he had facial hair only just long enough to be considered a beard. He frowned at her, deep blue eyes darkened. "I didn't realize this would be part of the plan." He grumbled.

"Oh, hush. It's only temporary." Shirayuki lazily turned her head to see who else was speaking, and the women immediately pursed her cracked lips and leaned back a bit with a glance at her. Her eyes were a light purple, matching with her tail. She had shades of blue on her fin as she lashed it in warning to the King. On her long red hair sat a silver tiara. The Queen, then.

Shirayuki waited for them to keep speaking, but they both seemed to want to wait until she passed out. Normally Shirayuki probably would have cursed at them or scowled, but as another bead of light gently traced over her ear, she found she just couldn't muster the energy. Her eyes closed, and she watched the light dance above her eyelids before she fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

Zen was suddenly wrenched away from the rocking surface and deeper into the water. He was pulled from the lull of the waves and away from air. He gurgled in protest and strained forward, but someone had a vice grip on his arm. He looked down and barely registered golden eyes. He fought again. He had to get to the voice. She was calling to him, he needed to be there. But his bodily functions compelled him to at least swim through the waves, so that he could give his lungs the air he so desperately needed.

But then the grip pulled him down deeper and Zen let out his last bit of air in shock and surprise. He saw spots. He looked up just in time to see the ocean dip. Inwardly, it pushed down against the water, forcibly parting it as it raced down. Zen, delusional with the lack of oxygen affecting his brain reached his free hand up. He believed the voice was giving him a way to breathe, a way to continue on so he may find her.

His fingers broke the surface, and air slipped down his hand. It felt like someone was tracing a ribbon around his skin as it moved down to his shoulder, then opened even farther to wrap around his head. He coughed and gagged desperately as the air overtook him, then took a massive inhale. He turned his head to see golden eyes glaring at him. He grinned drunkenly as his eyes rolled back into his head and the darkness wrapped its comforting arms around him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Phew boy! Do we got a longer chapter for you today!**

 **Hello merfolk and humans and all inbetween! My name is Annie and why am I starting this like a vlog entry? I don't know. I blame the exhaustion. It's currently 1:30 am and I am buzzing right now with how much I love mermaids and summer and joy and life and I don't know maybe I've had too many sweets tonight. Anyways, in this chapter we have a lot of things happening. I've literally gone straight from typing it to uploading it here (and editing it in Doc Manager). So I apologize for all the for sure going to be there typos and mistakes. But I'm tired and I just want to get this up and out so I may go and do other things! Have I mentioned yet that this is going to probably be my longest fanfiction ever yet? Yeahhhhh, well, now you know! Lol, enjoy. Remember, Review!**

* * *

Shirayuki stirred just before Obi swam up to her side. He looked down at her, an unconscious Zen in his arms. Out of breath, he told her; "Good, you're up." Then he leaned down and slipped Zen next to her. Shirayuki groaned in protest and shifted to the side to make room for him. She gasped in surprise when her arm touched his arm. Not because of the contact, but her skin brushed through air when she did.

"The Blessing of the Sea." Obi explained. "The Sea is holding a layer of oxygen around him so he can breathe. It'll go stale soon, so we need to hurry." He reached down and hoisted her from the Bed of Light. Golden lines of light dripped from her back into the pool. Shirayuki watched them purposefully swim around and down into the bed again with soft plops. Immediately, the normal salt water rushed around her and she covered her mouth as she coughed. "Obi, I don't feel good." She complained.

"I know." He helped her sit on the edge of the Bed. Below her, Zen muttered something incoherent and his eyelids fluttered. But he didn't wake. The Sharkman met her eyes. His spear was tucked into a seaweed belt at his waist, and it tilted down gently towards Zen before bopping back up. "Shirayuki, you need to kiss him again."

"What? No. Ew." Shirayuki shook her head, and immediately regretted it. The world spun and she nearly fell back into the Bed of Light. Her tail flung up on natural reflex and nearly smacked Obi down with her. But Obi managed to catch her and push her tail down in the same motion.

"This is the only way the both of you will live." Obi's voice was tense, like he was giving an order.

"But-what will it do? The last time n-nothing happened!" Shirayuki still tried to protest.

Obi grabbed her shoulders. Shirayuki thought it was to make sure she listened, but then she felt him push her so she was straight up again. "Shirayuki. The Sea will never lie. Therefore, neither will I. If you do not kiss him right now, both of you will not live."

Maybe it was her embarrassment, or maybe it was her sickness, but a flare of anger made her stiffen. "Why does the Sea care about us so much?!"

Obi looked hurt. "Shirayuki, the Sea cares for all her creatures."

"Then why did she let Atlantis sink? Why does she care for this barnacle scum?!" Shirayuki pointed at Zen angrily.

Obi grasped Shirayuki's cheeks. "She cares because he has a destiny that is intertwined with you, and the entire ocean. Please, Shirayuki." Suddenly, Obi's eyes darkened. Shirayuki watched as the color seemed to swirl in his eyes. A silver mist clouded from the outside of his irisis, and then when he spoke again, the voice was deep, slow, and feminine. " _Please_."

Shirayuki blinked, and his eyes were back to normal. He hadn't moved, and was still blinking at her pleadingly. She could almost believe she had imagined it. But the water seemed like it was moving around them. Shirayuki closed her eyes. One more kiss. And she would save her life. And…Zen's. She took a deep breath through her gills. "Okay, okay fine." She relented.

Obi sagged in relief and let her go. She leaned down over the bed, using her arms to hold her up. She studied Zen's face. His eyes were twitching under his eyelids, and he had massive bags. His brilliant white hair floated in the sky blue water, the lines of light zipping in and out of the strands. It gave him a sort of halo effect. His skin was a little paler underneath his tan. Shirayuki let her eyes wander to his lips. She expected to feel revolted, but she remembered how he had kissed her last.

The feeling wasn't even remotely close to disgust.

Shirayuki leaned down, and pressed her lips to his.

The effect was immediate. The Bed of Light glowed golden. Shirayuki felt herself getting her strength back. She spread and closed her fin in a stretch. Her lips tingled and she felt herself floating upwards. The constant headache she had been nursing for days now finally faded. Salt water flowed in and out of her gills easily. She pulled back, and sighed in relief. Then she gasped and propelled herself backwards away from the Prince.

The Bed of Light stayed golden as Zen's body began to…melt, it almost seemed. His skin turned the light blue the Bed used to be. His legs were gone first. Then his torso, and finally his head.

"Obi!" Shirayuki screamed, thinking Zen had just been killed.

"Calm down." Obi soothed. "He is being reborn."

Shirayuki stared at the Sharkman. " _What_?!"

Obi gave her a look, then nodded back to the Bed.

The glow faded as Shirayuki turned. The water went back to its usual light blue properties, complete with strands of yellow light darting around in swirls and random motions. And a fully formed Zen was thrust upwards from seemingly nowhere. He didn't leave the bed, but he was different now. Shirayuki gasped aloud, covering her hands with her mouth in shock.

Obi nodded. "I see now."

* * *

Soft singing was the first thing Zen picked up when he opened his eyes. It was not a calm awakening – his eyes flung open as if something in this world had just controlled him. His legs felt heavier and sore. He had one arm down by his side and another over the top of his head. His hair was soft and gently tickled against the base of his palm. He took a deep breath, but it didn't come through his nose. That thought made him sit up. But it was _wrong._ When he sat up, he felt sticky tendrils of bubbles cling to his back and his arms. He ripped himself free with a grunt of effort and found his hands grabbing two small rock walls for support.

The singing stopped.

"He's awake." A familiar, female voice said.

"So he is. Hello, Prince Zen." Another familiar, male voice said.

Zen's head felt filled with clouds. He took a few breaths, but it wasn't comforting. His lungs expanded, but when he breathed out the rush of air didn't come from his nose or his mouth. Instead, it rushed out from the side of his neck. He rubbed his eye with one hand and looked up. A girl with bright red hair was sitting on a rock a little ways away from him. Her eyes were a brilliant green and her cheeks were flushed red. The blue light in the cave they sat in made her skin look paler. But what it did to her skin was nothing compared to what it did to her tail. An even green to match her eyes was turned emerald, the streaks of gold on her undulating fin turned silver.

"You're my dream girl!" Zen blurted, so shocked about seeing her he didn't think what he was saying.

She froze and stared at him with a frown on her face, her eyebrows creased and she leaned back slowly with confusion. And possible a bit of disgust.

There was a scoff of laughter.

Zen noticed the man with the tail of a shark floating a little ways away, towards the cave's entrance. He held a massive spear that Zen had an odd feeling about – like how he felt when he held his sword. Speaking of, his sword and shirt were gone. His torso was bare. He tried not to feel embarrassed about that. The man standing at the entrance turned and swam a few feet back towards Zen. His skin was pale and he rippled with muscles. He had extra gray fins on his forearms and bright golden eyes.

Feeling embarrassed and confused, Zen stammered out. "I – I just meant you were, um, _in_ my dream. Not that….um, where am I?"

The man held up one finger with his free hand. "First thing, you need to look down and not panic."

Zen looked down and felt his heart stop.

When he was very young, and his mother would still make time to tuck him into bed, she had once told him that he should stay away from the ocean. The only reason being that earlier that day his older brother had nearly drowned. _"There are many things under those waves we don't understand, little one."_ He remembered her saying.

Now, staring at the expanse of blue, purple, and golden scales he found in place of his legs, he could finally understand what exactly she did not.

He couldn't form words to say anything to the other two. What words could possibly describe what he felt at his tail? From his waist, his skin darkened to a purplish color, before the scales began and the purple slipped down his sides, letting a dark blue take over until his fin. His fin was nothing like he imagined it would be. It looked more like a fabric, but as it curled and twisted against the light blue water he was sitting in, he could feel the power it held. It had a line of white over the very edge, and the purple and blue mixed in his fin underneath a sheen of gold.

He looked up at the two merpeople in front of him. "What did you do to me?" His voice was calmer than he expected.

"We had to." The man explained. "What do you remember?"

Zen couldn't believe they were asking him to remember things - right now all he really thought he was capable of was staring at his tail. Where was his penis, exactly? "Um?"

The mermaid scoffed.

He looked at her and she turned away, avoiding his gaze. "Were you singing just now?"

"Yeah." She clipped the word.

"This is Shirayuki. Do you remember her?" Obi explained.

"Shirayuki." Zen repeated. With some difficulty, he pulled his gaze away from her mesmerizing red hair and looked at the shark mermaid. "I think so? It sounds familiar."

"I'm Obi, do you remember our battle?"

Zen blinked, then stared at Obi's weapon. He remembered the heat of sparks flying past his face, the motion of wrapping chains around a soaked weapon. "Maybe bits of it?" He finally said.

"Good enough." Obi swam forward and settled on the wall in front of Zen's tail. His tail bent in a way a shark's never could. "Shirayuki saved you from being killed by pirates. The rules of the Sea dictate that a human never live under the sea for more than ten minutes. By saving you, Shirayuki and you violated that rule. I had to try to kill you. But during our fight, the Sea told me that you were to be spared and sent back to your homeland."

"Okay. None of that makes sense but okay." Zen said slowly. The memories came back to him, but they felt like something he would have read in a book somewhere. They couldn't be something he had experienced himself, because if it was…

He looked to Shirayuki. "Did you kiss me?"

She turned as red as her hair. " _You_ kissed _me_." She defended.

Obi heaved a sigh. "To stop you from trapping me, she sang to you. A mermaid's voice is hypnotizing to human ears."

Zen felt his own cheeks get hot. "Um…and…did you do it again just now?"

Shirayuki's tail lashed the water. The water pushed back Zen's hair from the force of it. "Because _he_ made me!" She defended again, pointing to Obi.

Zen looked to him for explanation, trying to keep his ears from going hot.

"The _Sea_ commanded it." Obi met Zen's eyes. "No mer has kissed a human, _or_ vice versa," he spared a glance a Shirayuki "in hundreds of years. The law of the Sea is that if it is to happen, one of the two must change. The mer must change human or the human must change to a mer."

"Or….?"

"Do you remember being sick?" Obi asked.

"Uh, yes, actually." Zen remembered Garack feeding him crushed herbs of all kinds to try and cure him. He remembered the hot flashes and the sudden pains. And he remembered a storm. "Did you pull me back to sea? I don't remember how I got here." He tried to move back a little, and his tail naturally splashed at the light blue water. It scattered water droplets and lines of golden light. As Zen watched, however, they simply stopped in midair. Or, water, he supposed. The droplets and the lines then turned and darted back into the small little nook of glowing water.

Obi didn't bother to explain _that_ impossible feat. Which was fine with Zen, he could only take so much fantastical before exploding. "The sickness was fatal. The Sea calls it love sickness."

"That name makes me feel a little sick." Zen admitted.

Obi shrugged. "The cure was, well." He gestured to Zen's tail.

"Um, okay." Zen gripped the sides of the rock wall and looked at Shirayuki, who was staring at his tail as well. "Why couldn't you become human?"

Shirayuki looked up, appalled. "I would never! Not on your life."

"Or yours, apparently." Zen argued.

Shirayuki opened her mouth, then closed it again. She huffed. "It doesn't have to be permanent, right, Obi? You said before that the Sea wanted Zen to return to land."

"She didn't know about the kiss. And it's true."

"Really? Well, thank god for that." Zen managed, though his voice was tight and he was shivering slightly. He wished he had his shirt still. He looked at Obi. "Why did she choose to spare me, then? I remember the pirates kidnapping me and throwing me overboard. Why am I still alive?"

Obi twirled his massive spear and looked out to the open water. "I don't know all the details. I know that the Ocean believes herself to be in danger, and believes you…" He paused, then pointed at Shirayuki. "And you, are the keys to saving her."

Shirayuki and Zen exchanged a look.

"As for your tail, Prince, I don't know how long you will have to remain like this. For now, we must await further orders." Obi sighed and put his spear's end against the ground. He leaned on it heavily.

Zen wanted to stand, but he didn't think he could. "I can't wait forever, Obi. I've already been gone for what, almost two weeks? I have people who will worry about me. I have duties I need to attend to – Clarines _needs_ me."

Obi held his hand up. "I know, but Zen, I don't know how to reverse your transformation. Only the Sea knows how."

Zen couldn't really believe any of this. He tried to breathe through his mouth, but it naturally occurred through his gills instead. "I-I'm sorry. I just…need a minute." He leaned forward and put his head in his hands, staring down through his fingers at the expanse of glimmering scales and trying really hard not to cry. He wasn't sure exactly why he wanted to cry. But he bit back the tears anyways, and just tried to believe there was a way out of this endless whirlpool of insanity he had been sucked into.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! So good news and bad news. Good news, this is a pretty long chapter and a lot goes down! Bad news which is a little bit bigger. Sorry to say that I'm back in college. It was my first week of classes and it was so busy! I have a feeling it'll take me a bit longer to write and publish these chapters. But definitely keep a look out! I promise it's not over yet, not even close! Just hang on with me for a little longer, please? I promise this has a plot and I am no way ready to let this just fade away. Hang tough with me! Until next time, keep swimming and I'll talk to you soon! Remember, review!**

* * *

"You're kicking too hard." Obi lectured, just in time for Zen to send himself spinning again.

The Prince of Clarines groaned. "This is impossible!"

"It's not. You're overthinking it." Obi explained patiently. "Stop thinking so hard. And don't use your arms like that."

Zen dropped his arms and tail and let himself sink down to the sandy bottom of the ocean floor. He sat there despondently, his blue tail kicking up clouds of sand. The different colors all glittered under the yellow puff. Zen looked up at Shirayuki desperately. "If you can't use your arms to steer, how do you turn?"

Shirayuki rolled her eyes and showed her tail's flexibility, bringing her fin up next to her chest. "You're swimming like you have a dolphin's tail. You can bend it in more ways than just up and down."

Zen looked thoughtful. He pushed himself up from his sitting position and pulled his tail under him. He managed to copy her, then let it drop back below him. He turned on his side and began spinning in circles slowly.

"This is painful to watch." Shirayuki told Obi.

Obi shrugged. "He's getting it." The Sharkman looked up at the surface, at least a hundred feet above them. Shirayuki watched, as his eyes seemed to scan something up there. It was a wild rush of bubbles and waves from all Shirayuki could see. The occasional rumble of thunder made it all the way to the ocean floor. Suddenly Obi kicked off the ground and swam up a bit.

Zen stopped himself successfully without the use of his hands and looked up at Obi. "What are you doing?"

Obi looked down at them. He ducked down and swam over to them again. "I need to go find something. Shirayuki, you have to take Zen back to your home for the night at least."

Both the Prince and the mermaid stared at the Sharkman. "Um, no?" Shirayuki said. "No, Obi – you didn't say anything about having to babysit him."

"I don't need a babysitter." Zen argued.

"You can't even swim right!" Shirayuki snapped back.

"I didn't ask for this!"

"Neither did I!"

"You should have just let me go home when you first saved me!"

"I shouldn't have saved you at all!"

"Enough!" Obi interrupted angrily, rubbing his temples. "Listen, I know it isn't ideal. But the Sea tells me that she has something that could reverse this." Obi gestured towards Zen's tail. "But if I'm right to where it is, I need to make a path. I'll be gone for a day at least, a week at most. Can you survive until then, _please_?"

Shirayuki and Zen glanced at each other.

Zen huffed and folded his muscular arms. "I don't have much choice."

Obi looked at Shirayuki.

Shirayuki wished that she could argue, but eventually she sighed and nodded. "Fine. He can stay with me. Just hurry Obi, please."

Obi nodded. He looked to the left. "Do you need help getting home?"

"No, thank you." Shirayuki shook her head.

Obi clasped his hand on Zen's shoulder. "I know this is really hard for you, But please, bear with us." With that, Obi launched himself into the sea. His tail powered him silently but swiftly into the murk, until he was nothing more than a speck of movement Shirayuki could sense more than she could see.

Zen looked to Shirayuki. "How far of a swim is it?"

"Well…" Shirayuki lifted her hand and close her eyes. She felt the currents flowing through her fingertips. As always, the contained power was staggering, but she could easily find which one would take them home the fastest. Unfortunately, it would take them by the castle.

"What did you just do?" Zen asked, staring at her hand.

"Just felt for the right current. It'll help us get home, as it's less work to get there this way." Shirayuki grabbed Zen's hand. "This way." She pulled him away from the sandy bottom of the sea and up into mid water.

Zen kicked his tail and trailed after her, letting her lead him. She looked back and met his blue eyes. They seemed to glow in the deep water. "It's about a two minute swim to the right current." She realized she was still holding his hand, and a blush rose to her cheeks. She ripped her hand away and tried to tone down her blush. "Can you keep up?" Shirayuki challenged and kicked her tail harder, powering through the water. Her hair streamed back over her shoulders and she sighed out her gills. It felt amazing to be healthy again.

Suddenly, a shock of white hair appeared right next to her. Zen blinked at her, his one eyebrow higher than the other, a smirk draped over his lips. His hair brushed down over his forehead, as his tail powerfully kicked through the water.

Shirayuki found herself staring at his lips and scowled. She put on another burst of speed, determined to leave the human in the bubbles.

But no, he pulled up beside her again. He grinned. "You asked if I could keep up!" He called out to her. The water rushed past her ears and made it harder to hear.

She rolled her eyes. "You're not a mer, you _can't_ keep up!" Shirayuki yelled back. She spread her fin all the way out, nearly stretching it. She batted the water and darted forward like a minnow. She slipped around a large stone and underneath a coral archway, startling a few fish folk that shouted curses at her but scattered out of her way. She giggled at one lobster's wording and bent backwards and around, enjoying the feel of the salt pressing against her skin, how free she was.

She had almost forgotten about Zen until he pulled up beside her. She had slowed considerably to float on her back for a bit. It made her smile to see how he floated forward a little bit, his back arching into the air as he nearly threw himself upside down. He was out of breath, his gills flaring open and shut. "A-A crab told me to eat a barnacle. _A crab_."

Shirayuki had to laugh he looked so alarmed. "That's all? Normally they use worse words than that." Then it occurred to her and she flipped back onto her front. Zen, meanwhile, was completely upside down. He seemed content enough to float like that, so she got into his face. "Wait. We're still speaking English. How did you understand a crab?"

Zen shrugged, which was weird to see at a 90 degree angle. "It sounded a little warbled, but something _like this_?"

Shirayuki was astounded. She backed up a foot at least. Then she narrowed her eyes. In Mermish, she spoke. _"Do you know what I'm saying right now?"_

Zen blinked at her for a minute, then nodded. _"This feels different. How am I doing this?"_

Shirayuki pointed to her unmoving lips as she spoke again. _"Mermish comes from the gills."_

 _"Mermish?"_ Then Zen reached up and covered his mouth. _"Can you still hear me?"_

Shirayuki nodded.

"Oh my god this is _insane_." Zen spoke English so rapidly and fast Shirayuki had to stop and think about what exactly he had said.

Shirayuki sighed. _"I don't get how you can speak it. I taught English to myself_ , _and it took years_."

Zen gave a breathless laugh and lifted his hands. _"Do I get to keep this skill when I'm human again?"_

 _"How in the Sea should I know that?"_ Shirayuki scoffed. She shoved his shoulder and sent him spinning slightly. _"And right yourself, you look dumb."_

 _"I_ feel _dumb, so it's fine."_ Zen said, but he righted his position. _"Are we close to the current yet?"_

 _"We've still got a little ways to go."_

 _"Hmm."_ Zen swam forward a few tail strokes.

 _"Hey, where are you going? Zen!"_ Irritated, she swam after him briskly and grabbed his arm. _"Stop, the castle is that way."_

 _"That's why there's those guards there?"_

 _"Guards?"_ Shirayuki blinked, then looked forward. The water was dark, but she did faintly see dim lights bobbing up and down in the unmistakebale method of a mer. "English. Now." She ordered.

"Okay, why?" Zen asked, then yelped as Shirayuki grabbed his hand and ripped him back to the coral reef they had mildly disturbed. For the millionth time in her life, she hated her shockingly bright red hair. She gathered it all up in her hand and held it as she pushed Zen to lie flat in a crevasse between two coral rocks.

He jerked up from under her with a yelp. Shirayuki looked down just in time to see an Eel's eyes glaring at Zen. Shirayuki pulled Zen out of the way just in time for the Eel to lunge. She began to panic as she backed away. This wasn't working, they needed to hide.

Zen pulled his hand away from her and shot her a look. "Why do we need to hide in the first place?" He demanded, though he kept his voice at a low whisper.

"Because the King and Queen are evil?" She tried.

"They are?!"

"Well, I mean, in my eyes." Shirayuki spotted the small coral arch she had dove under and swam for it. Zen followed. She settled herself across the side of the arch, bending her tail to fit. Zen copied her, although he had a bit more trouble with his tail at first. "Listen, when Obi went to get you and I was in the Bed of Light, I remember the King and Queen come in. They wanted me gone, and had to be ordered by Obi to leave me alone."

"Um, okay?" Zen frowned at her look. "Don't give me that. I'm not siding with them or anything! I just don't know anything about them. Were we on the royal property when we used that Bed thing?"

"Yes!" Shirayuki hissed. She poked her head out nervously. The lights were getting closer. "They hold all this power they've created only out of money and fear. Is that not enough to convince you? I thought you were all noble or whatever." Shirayuki checked again.

Zen opened and closed his mouth. Then he managed; "Don't get so cross with me. I'm just trying to understand everything. And again, why we have to hide."

"Because! The King and Queen aren't merciful about finding random mers near the castle. We have to be 'invited', as if it isn't a free ocean!" The endlessly curious part of Shirayuki wondered if she'd heard that one word he said right – _cross_. She thought that was a religious symbol, but she didn't have the time to sit and worry about it. She understood him well enough.

"But you aren't random. You have a reason for being here – Obi said you could use the Bed of Light."

"Technically, the Sea said that, but doesn't matter! Actually, if anything it makes it worse. The King and Queen didn't want me in there, they won't be happy to see me again. And Obi isn't here to protect me."

"I can protect you."

The statement startled and enraged Shirayuki. She turned and met his eyes. He blushed and looked away.

"…Sorry."

"They'll be just as willing to capture you as me, human. So don't get too cocky. Plus, I don't need you to protect me. I don't _need_ protection. All I need is Obi to be close by so that _both_ of us have granted passage anywhere." Shirayuki muttered, worried she'd be overheard if she got too angry.

Zen ran his fingers through his hair, which was hypnotizing in a weird way. "I'm just trying to make friends."

"We're _not_ friends." Shirayuki shot back.

Zen looked wounded. "Then peace, at least. This is hard enough for me as it is, I don't need someone constantly berating me for literally breathing wrong every two seconds."

"I'm not constantly beletting you!" Shirayuki argued back.

"What? I said berating. Ber-ate-ing." Zen sounded the word out.

"I don't know what that means."

"Like talking down too."

Shirayuki was about to say she wasn't doing that ether, but suddenly she felt a hard hand clap her over the mouth. She let out a muffled scream of shock and looked at Zen, who also had a gloved hand over his mouth. His eyes met hers, wide with surprise for a second, before they hardened faster than the lava she had once seen pour into the sea.

Zen grabbed the man's wrist and flicked his tail out, sending him flying upside down. The man yelled and gurgled something as two others lunged for Zen's tail, trying to wrap it in coils of rope. Zen moved like a sea lion and managed to twist out of the way and free himself from the man holding his mouth.

 _This is insulting._ Shiryauki thought. She wasn't exactly helpless ether.

 _"Who are you and why are you on royal grounds?"_ The guard holding her grumbled.

Shirayuki reached down into her purse and felt for her pearls. She managed to open the small clam she kept them in and let one pour randomly into her hand. Swiftly, she lifted it and crushed it in her closed fist, showing it to the guard.

The guard, recognizing the puff of dust that slipped from between her fingers, jumped backwards.

Shirayuki hoped she hadn't just crushed her yellow pearls, but spun out of the way and tossed the pearl dust at the guard. He dropped his lantern, which was just a clear jar full of small little glowing plankton. Shirayuki grabbed the light and pulled it away from the guard, trying to unscrew the lid as the guard coughed and rapidly backed up. Lucky for Shirayuki, she had managed to crush a red pearl. She normally used that to keep away starving sharks who would try to use her as their last chance for survival. It was nothing toxic or harmful, but it smelled replusive and immediately instilled whomever or whatever she used it on with fear of her.

Sure enough, the guard turned tail and swam into the darkness.

Shirayuki looked back to hear the sounds of a struggle. The guards had managed to tie the end of Zen's tail in three coils of rope. Zen kicked and thrashed but was ultimately being dragged down by the guards. "Zen!" Shirayuki cried.

An idea came to her. She swam forward to just underneath Zen, where they had tried to hide before. Carefully finding the small hold with her eyes, she turned around and ripped open the jar. The little blue plankton floated out, casting a blue light across the small mini reef. Shirayuki then twisted and slammed her tail into the side of the rock as hard as she could. She did it once more, and on her third try felt a zing of pain. She moved away quickly, just in time for the Moray Eel Zen had disturbed earlier on emerge in a hissing fury.

The guards, so busy with Zen, didn't notice at first.

Then they noticed as the Moray lunged through the bright plankton and sank it's jaws into the tail of a guard. The guard shrieked and Shirayuki felt a little bad. But he let go of Zen and the distraction was enough to make the other two let go of the ropes. Zen curled his fin in a tight spiral and pulled himself forward out of the ropes.

"Let's go!" Shirayuki shouted.

Zen nodded and darted after her as they raced towards the current. Shirayuki tried to block out the hiss of the Moray Eel and the shouts of the guards. "That was smart." Zen said as they swam, out of breath and a little bruised, it seemed.

Shirayuki shook her head. "It was selfish. I can't believe I sacrificed that poor Eel for you."

Zen gawked at her. "Wow, thanks so much."

"I'm just saying it's unfair!" She put on a burst of speed. "That was it's home. I disturbed it and used it as a distraction. Now it's going to be killed and it's my fault."

She swam angrily ahead, until she could just feel the start of the current that would take her home. She glanced back, but she only saw Zen swimming to her. Shirayuki felt tears well in her eyes, then got angry at herself for being so compassionate. She held herself and looked away as Zen floated down next to her. He was breathing heavily, and she noticed there was a lag in the way he moved his tail.

He caught the way she looked at him and gave her a small smile. "I am sorry. I shouldn't have let myself get caught like that. I'm just not used to fighting with this. Thank you."

Shirayuki met his eyes. For a moment, she felt a little better. Then she looked down at his tail and her mind clicked into the herbalist she was. She dipped down and gently studied the base of Zen's tail. Right before his fin started, where the ropes had held him. She thought she saw some red rash on his glittering scales. She straightened again with a sigh. "You should heal that before we go on. It's a long journey home."

Zen bent his tail up to look. "It's just a brush burn, isn't it?"

"Yes, but you're a mer now. The sea is your best chance of healing." Shirayuki grabbed Zen's hand and pulled him up. "Come to the surface."

"What?" Zen broke into a small smile and joked. "Are you trying to send me home again?"

"Wouldn't that be nice." Shirayuki breathed. "You're going to let the salt hiss over your tail. It'll heal within a minute."

Zen looked ahead of her to the raging surface slowly getting closer. "Um, that might drown me."

"You can't drown anymore. Relax your body and let the Sea decide."

"You trust her-it-um, the Sea that much?" Zen said nervously. He moved with her slowly, but kept his tail going nonetheless.

"Yes. She takes care of us. She heals us. Relax your tail, but don't let it be moved. Keep it relaxed but still, no matter what the waves will try to do to you. It's just a test, and they won't actually hurt you." _You can't drown anymore._ Something held Shirayuki back from answering that. "Oh, and I wouldn't breathe any air yet. You aren't used to the transition. Just hold your gills closed."

"Um, alright." Zen took a dew steady breaths, then he suddenly flared his fins out and stopped them both.

Shirayuki's hair was starting to be picked and pulled by the waves just above them. The water hissed slightly, while Above Surface no doubt it roared like thunder. "Don't be nervous."

"Um, the last memory I have of the waves was full of painful salt in my lungs and a lot of near drowning. Sorry I'm a little afraid."

Shirayuki shook her head. "You're a mer now, you belong to the Sea."

Zen's face tightened, and Shirayuki realized that was probably the wrong thing to say.

 _"Hold!"_ Someone shouted.

Shirayuki looked down just in time to see blue lights flicker and dance all around them. The lights were long tendrils of extremely bright flashes, so harsh on the eyes when she blinked she could see them still. When the lights flashes, Shirayuki could see the reflective flash of mers' eyes. Shirayuki swallowed nervously.

"What's that?" Zen asked.

"We're through." Shirayuki let herself sink. "They've brought out the Jellyfish Lines."

"What are those? Jellyfish tentacles?" Zen gasped.

"Exactly. Just because they've been taken from their fish, they still can sting hard enough to kill." Shirayuki tried to keep her voice from trembling. She sank down next to Zen, reluctantly letting her hair drop from the hold of the waves. "Zen, we have to go with them. Don't fight back."

 _"Come with us and we won't be forced to use this."_ A guard hissed.

Shirayuki put her hands up. _"We won't. We'll come easy."_

 _"Hand over your purse."_ A guard swam up to them. He held only two seaweed wraps, ready to stick to their wrists and hold their arms together. Shirayuki was not looking forward to that. She looked at Zen as she slowly removed her purse strap from around her and handed it to the guard. The guard put it around himself, then held out the gooey wraps. Shirayuki sighed, but put her hands forward. He slipped the goo over her wrists, and immediately it began to spread. All the way to her elbows, the gunk stuck and clipped her arms together. It was immensely uncomfortable, and itched like no tomorrow.

 _"Your turn_. _"_ The guard said to Zen. He paused. Shirayuki looked over to him and jumped.

Zen held his wrists out, but his eyes were a mask of threatening. They reminded Shirayuki of the deepest chasm in the sea. Unknown and dangerous, with currents threatening to spin or drag tails into the deepest cracks in the sea. The guard was obviously unnerved. But he cuffed Zen. Zen twitched uncomfortably. "What is this stuff?" He asked Shirayuki.

"Seaweed mixed with small pearl magic. It'll grow if you struggle more, so be careful." Shirayuki whispered.

Zen froze. Then he grunted as the guard grabbed his wrist and pulled him into his face. _"Who are you? What are you speaking?"_

Zen's entire body relaxed. He kept his gaze level. _"My name is Zin. I come from far away waters, visiting my cousin. I didn't know about the royal limit rule."_

The guard scowled. _"Give your excuses later in questioning."_

Zen lifted his head in defiance, but kept his lips shut.

 _"Let's take them back down, boys!"_ The guard called. He grabbed Zen and Shirayuki by the wrists and they were pulled downwards roughly. Zen and Shirayuki kicked their tails and followed. Lines of blue tendrils slowly closed around them in a circle as they descended back down into the depths, and into the clutches of the King.


	10. Chapter 10

**Wooo! Hello, and Happy 10th Chapter! This one is pretty long, and it took FOREVER. I wrote like one paragraph a week so because of that to me it kind of feels like the flow is off, but eh. I wanted to share this with you guys now, before my weekend ended and schoolwork swamps me again. Lol. I hope you enjoy, and remember, review!**

* * *

Zen wasn't sure what to think of the castle.

As they swam reluctantly forward, the massive structure came into view. It looked like a castle built out of a mountain, all the walls rocks and a light in every window. The intended effect was probably to make it seem like the entire structure was glowing. But instead, it just looked creepy and fuzzy in the dark. Guards swam this way and that, and occasionally Zen could see flashes of blue lights he assumed were more jellyfish tentacles.

He glanced at the ones behind Shirayuki and him. The guards held the curly lines a small distance away from their covered chests, and they held them with some sort of brown looking gloves. "What are the gloves made out of?" Zen whispered to Shirayuki.

The mermaid was intimidatingly beautiful in the low light, a murderous gleam in her eyes as she looked at everyone and everything. "Hardened mud. Ground doesn't conduct electricity."

Zen nodded. "I get it."

 _"Stop speaking English."_ A guard grumbled, glancing back at them.

Zen spread his hands, the best he could do in the seaweed wraps. He had been in a lot of handcuffs over the years, but none like this. Shirayuki had warned him that the more he struggled, the more they would grow. He didn't think he had moved all that much, but the itchy substance was almost over his elbows. It was disgusting and sticky, but he did his best to ignore it.

As they swam underneath a huge stone arch that looked like it had been carved centuries ago, Zen scanned his surroundings. The guards by the arch gave them a hard look. Two separate coral reefs sat on ether sides of them, but they had lost all their color. Instead, it just was a paradise of green and black edges curling around each other like they were frozen in the midst of a battle. A few mermaids and merman watched them warily from around the edge of the courtyard. He spotted a small little mermaid with a pink tail holding a silver platter to her chest hiding behind a pillar. When she caught his gaze, she ducked out of view.

They were headed towards a pair of massive brown doors, two more guards holding spears at attention as they passed. The doors opened and they swam through.

Inside, the castle was basked in a light green color. Zen glanced up and saw thousands of familiar crystals glowing high above them on the roof. "Shirayuki, what are those?" He asked.

Shirayuki glanced up. "You don't remember the _Vidre_?"

Zen shook his head.

"They're crystals that glow naturally. They're powered off emotions, and a lot of times they'll change based on the emotions around them." Shirayuki whispered.

Zen nodded, as if that was totally normal. Then he looked around again. The floor was just below them, a polished marble with two sharks swimming around each other carved out on it. Pillars towered up and held the massive room up. Very few mers were swimming around here, and when Zen saw who waited at the back wall, he knew why.

Two guards rushed ahead and bowed. Their tail fins went straight down and stilled as they did so. _"Your Highnesses, these two mers were found on your territory."_

Shirayuki looked down and tried to cover her eyes, but her red hair was too much of a giveaway.

Zen had no such worries of being recognized, so he lifted his eyes and met the King's glare evenly. The King did not look friendly in the least. Burly, with long gray hair and a mighty beard, he scowled at them. His eyes held a dark gleam that Zen always connected with corrupt leaders. He never did like meeting other royalty.

The Queen was no better. She looked ready to send them off to the execution block already, and they hadn't even say a word yet. She had ginger hair not too unlike Shirayuki's, but it was darker. It floated free around her head like a plume of blood. Her purple eyes gleamed murderously and she lashed her tail across the water.

The thrones they sat on where made of what looked like a mix between coral, seaweed, and small white pearls glittering eerily in the greenish light.

 _"You."_ The King snarled. _"I thought that Sharkman told us you would be gone by now."_

Shirayuki lifted her chin angrily. _"The Sharkman told me to head home with him. We were on our way and we were attacked by your guards."_

 _"You must have trespassed."_

 _"We were on our way out!"_ Shirayuki then winced as a guard let an electric tendril just brush the tip of her fin. A whole shudder rushed through the mermaid and she moved forward on instinct.

 _"You will speak with respect."_ The guard growled.

Zen shot him a look then looked back to the King. He wanted to say something, but before he did the Queen cast her attention to him.

 _"And you. Who are you? I've never seen you before."_

Zen tried to recall his made up story to the guard. _"My name is Zin."_

 _"Zin."_ The Queen repeated. She crossed her arms. It was obvious she didn't believe that was his name. _"Well, Zin. You don't look familiar. The Sharkman may have excused her for the time being, but you are without an excuse."_

 _"Please, I didn't know the law."_ Zen pleaded diplomatically.

 _"You should have been informed."_ The King glared at Shirayuki.

Shirayuki opened her mouth to respond, but before that the Queen stood. _"Enough. Throw them into the dungeons."_

 _"What?!"_ Shirayuki gurgled underwater with shock. _"But you can't do that! We haven't done anything wrong!"_

 _"You have offended us twice."_ The King offered.

Shirayuki clenched her fists. She had thrashed just enough to make the wrap grow up to her elbows, like Zen's. _"Then at least let Ze-uh, Zin go. He didn't know better."_

Zen stared at the mermaid in horror for at least three seconds. _"What? No!"_ He made a conscious effort, then spoke in English to her. "You can't do that! I won't make it out there on my own."

"You can find some other mer to help you. Obi will find you and let me go later." Shirayuki murmured back, placating. She didn't meet his eyes.

"I won't let you sacrifice yourself like this." Zen swam towards her, but suddenly felt an electric tingle hit the top of his fin. He froze, clenching his teeth as what felt like a wave of sharp needles rushed across his body, ending just at the tip of his nose.

 _"We said no English. And await the King and Queen's orders."_ The guard grumbled.

Zen shot him a murderous glare, and was satisfied with the guard's slight jump.

The King was stroking his beard. _"It matters very little to me."_

 _"It matters to_ me _!"_ The Queen snarled. Her tail lashed through the water again. _"Suppose he goes and gets that Sharkman to free her. I will not have my authority questioned again."_

Shirayuki heaved a sigh, but said nothing.

Zen bit his lip and looked up. The tips of the _Vidre_ were turning a stormy purple, high above them.

 _"Your authority falls below mine, I remind you."_ The King murmured. At his wife's raised eyebrow, he winced and cleared his throat. _"Very well, have it your way. Send both of them to the dungeon."_

 _"For how long?"_ Zen demanded as the guards made a reach for his restraints. He swam upwards and flipped forward to avoid their hands. He landed just in front of the King and Queen. _"Please, at least tell us that much."_

The King glared at him, moving his tail away. The Queen didn't move, but instead rose from her seat. She stood and swam up to face him, lifting herself just a bit higher. _"That is completely and totally up to me. You will learn your place in this ocean, stranger."_

Zen pursed his lips to bit back a retort. He wanted to keep glaring at the Queen's dark eyes, but he glanced down at Shirayuki, who was surrounded by the guards and their jellyfish tentacles. She stared up at him in horror, and he knew he had to stand down.

He sagged and let his body sink. _"Yes, your Majesty."_

This, at least, seemed to please the Queen enough. She nodded once and swam back to her throne. _"Away with them."_

 _"Yes, your Highness."_ The guards mumbled. Zen was grabbed and pulled back next to Shirayuki. The guards swam upwards with them in tow. Zen looked around, confused as the room seemed to shake slightly.

"Look down." Shirayuki said softly.

Zen did, and he jumped so much his tail nearly hit a tentacle. Between the two sharks, the floor was opening downwards slowly. Below was only darkness. As the floor parted, the guards began to herd them downwards. As they swam, Zen cast another glance at the King and Queen. Both shared a knowing, relieved look. Then Shirayuki and Zen descended into the darkness.

* * *

They were blind until they found their cell. There was one small window, and it was letting in a gleam of bluish lighting. Shirayuki was pushed in first, then Zen. A guard followed them in, and two others stood ready with the flashing lights of the tentacles. He touched Shirayuki's bonds right below her wrist, then waved his hand over them. The goop melted into a silver and green putty-like substance. He scooped it out of the water with a small vase, then closed it. He let the vase float while he released Zen's bonds next. Again, he caught the substance with a new vase. Without a word, he grasped the vases and backed out of the cell. Zen watched as one guard pressed a small button.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, a long, slithering black creature appeared in his sight. It stayed back, but tendrils of blue electricity rushed down its body. A dead looking eye scanned him and Shirayuki, then slowly began making circles just in front of the guards, wall to wall.

"Is that a-"

"Electric eel." Shirayuki confirmed. "They guard the cells. It won't attack unless we try to escape."

The guards seemed satisfied that the eel would do its job, so they curled up the tentacles and swam down the hall into the murky blackness again.

Zen studied the cell. It wasn't large, with one bed made up of seaweed and stone. The seaweed was old and when he moved to touch it, it crumbled underneath his fingers. "Well, this place is charming." He scoffed. The window was just big enough to get through. Hopefully, he swam towards it. He stuck his head out cautiously. The entire ocean loomed out in front of him. "This could be-" Then he yelped as he turned his head and saw two dead eyes staring at him.

Another electric eel. Warningly, it raised its tail and sent sparks flying through the water.

Zen slowly pulled his head back in. The eel swam by the window, its shadow blocking the light for a moment. He sank downwards and looked around one more time. Besides the bed and the window, the cell was sparse. Just a hole in a cave wall. "Great." He murmured. He realized that when they were first swimming into the castle, what he had thought to be more guards with jellyfish tentacles must have actually been the electric eels.

Shirayuki floated for a while longer, before she lowered to the ground and sat down. Her tail curled around her and she pressed the palms of her hands to her face. "I hate the royal family." She mumbled.

Zen swam over and sat down next to her. He tried to copy how she was sitting, which took a few tries. The mermaid looked over to watch, and when he finally comfortably sat down, she snorted. "What?" Zen demanded.

"It's just…" She pulled her hair out of her face. "Generally, only mer _maids_ sit like this."

Zen made a face. "I don't see why only girls. It's comfortable." He flared his fin, the silver scales catching the light.

Shirayuki shook her head and shrugged. She stared at her own fin as it rested on the ground. "The ocean is unmoving here."

"No. Is that a bad thing?"

"It's just weird." Shirayuki mumbled. She watched the eel make different shapes with his body, her eyes reflecting the occasional blue spark.

Zen wanted to say more, but he wasn't sure where to start. "Your royal family is…something."

"They're despicable." Shirayuki scowled. "I hate nobility."

" _I'm_ nobility."

"I rest my fin."

"How rude."

Zen expected another fight to break out, but instead Shirayuki looked at him, and a small smile pulled at her lips. Both paused, then broke into giggles. "Ah, sorry." She said.

"No, it's fine. I've met more than enough royals to understand."

Shirayuki shifted slightly. The floor was cold under their scales. "This is the fear I mentioned they use. They've employed these eels to do their dirty work."

"And those tentacles. I'm assuming they don't just find them lying around at the bottom of the sea."

"You guessed it." Shirayuki scowled. "Disgusting."

Zen nodded. "I'm also going to bet that their prisoners don't get much better treatment."

Shirayuki just pursed her lips.

"More of a reason to get out of here, then." Zen scratched his head, trying to think.

Shirayuki scoffed. At his look, she explained. "No one has ever escaped these dungeons before."

"First time for everything, right?"

"No, Zen. Zen!" Shirayuki grabbed Zen's arm as he unwound his tail. "Listen to me! Our best bet is to just wait for Obi."

"I've never been the type to sit around and wait." Zen argued.

Shirayuki's fin flared out and her eyes flashed gold in annoyance. She pulled hard on his arm and made him come back down to her. She put her hands on top of his tail and got in his face. "You don't understand! Eels can outswim any mer in a heartbeat. One touch is fatal."

Zen studied her face, then sighed. "Alright, calm down."

"Thank you." Her gills lifted as she sighed.

Zen sat down again, right next to her this time. "Tell me something. Why did the King shy away from me like that?"

"Oh, I'm not sure. There is a rumor that he can't ever be touched, or else he'll turn to stone." She shrugged.

Zen snorted and looked at her. "You can't be serious."

"I didn't come up with the rumor. It's probably just some lie." Shirayuki's eyes were dark in the low light.

"Huh. I wonder."

"You believe it?"

"Shirayuki, I'm sitting thousands of leagues under the sea with a fish tail talking to a mermaid. I'll believe anything after this point." He laughed.

Shirayuki frowned at him. "You're a strange human."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Though I do wonder why the Queen was so vehement about you coming to jail with me. From everything I've seen and heard, she's normally the first to do as the King says."

"That was odd. I just assumed she didn't like me."

"I think that's apparent. My only question is why." Shirayuki put her finger against her lip, looking lost in thought. "When I was in the Bed of Light before Obi came and got you, the King and Queen said something about it not being part of their plan."

"Their plan?"

"Yeah. I know, it's odd. I'm not sure what they meant ether. Whatever it is, I can promise you it won't be good."

"Hey, what are their names? The King and Queen, I mean."

Shirayuki looked thoughtful. Her fin fluttered open and then closed again. The electric eel sparked silently. "I'm not too sure, honestly."

Zen frowned. "You don't know the name of your King and Queen?"

She shrugged. "Just another thing they do wrong."

Zen lifted from his sitting position and looked around again. "How long did Obi say he would take?"

"A day at the least, a week at the most." Shirayuki sighed.

"We can't wait that long." Zen frowned and turned upside down again. He began brushing his hands across the floor.

"What are you doing?" Shirayuki asked.

"Looking for any dirt." Zen answered.

"Dirt? Here?" Even though she said it with doubt in her voice, she began to twist around herself to look.

"I'm hoping that they'll live up to your expectations." Zen mumbled. He fluttered his fin just slightly to move himself. Sure enough, he swiped his fingers through a small bit of brown colored dust. He pinched his fingers together and pursed his lips, then looked at Shirayuki. "Help me gather some?"

Soon enough, Shirayuki and Zen had swept up a small pile of brown dirt. It floated around in the water, and the two were careful to keep it as together as possible. "This isn't enough for both of them." Shirayuki muttered, looking back at the eel still swimming in circles in front of them.

"Then we aim for the one outside the window." Zen looked out towards the small little hole of light.

"But the other one will come in after us if it sees us swim away." Shirayuki groaned.

Zen thought for a moment, then looked to the bed of seaweed. He swam over to it, careful not to disturb the floating pile of dirt. He reached down and touched the bed. Once again, the seaweed crumbled under his fingers. The Second Prince scooped up the remains and sifted them through his fingertips gently. He smiled and turned to Shirayuki. "Maybe not as potent, but this could still blind it."

"They can find you by smell." Shirayuki said, unimpressed.

"It'll just give us enough time to get out." Zen began gathering more seaweed dust. "You throw it at the eel outside."

"I'm a faster swimmer than you, human. You should throw it at the eel outside." Shirayuki argued.

Zen bit back an argument. "How's your aim?"

Shirayuki rolled her green eyes, her tail irritably kicking at the water. "I'm a magic user. I can aim pearls, dust is no-" Suddenly Shirayuki's eyes widened. "My pearls! We have to get my bag back."

Zen resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "One thing at a time. Let's get out of this cell before we worry about your pearls." He turned away to collect more dust.

Shirayuki let the dirt pile drop and swam over to him. "Zen, you don't understand. My pearls are magic. I have one that can make us invisible. If we want to escape the guards, we have to use that."

Zen raised his eyebrow. "Why didn't you use that when we first saw the guards, then?"

"I…" Shirayuki looked away for a second. "I wasn't sure I could. It's a high level of magic. But it's our best bet. If we want to make it to the current, the spell will help."

Zen wanted to argue again, but she grabbed his shoulder and looked into his eyes pleadingly. Her hand was warm, and her hair fanned out around her face like a cloud in the middle of a sunset. "Let's worry about it later." He insisted.

Shirayuki pouted. "Fine. But I'm going to find them, with or without you." She swam back to the dust.

Zen rolled his eyes and held the dust he gathered between two hands. "Alright, ready?" He swam towards the window.

Shirayuki gathered her dust between her hands and nodded. She moved towards the eel nervously. Its glassy, dead eye moved to watch her curiously.

Zen tried not to worry about her and looked out the window. He poked his head out and waited. "Ready? Set….." Zen waited until he heard the familiar sparking sound. "NOW!" He twisted around in a full 180 twist and tossed his dust all over the electric eel over his head. Without a second to even see what its reaction was, he darted out of the window and spread his fin. He kicked forward a bit, stopping and turning just in time to see Shirayuki explode out of the window and grab his arm to pull him forward.

Of course, however, instead of to the open ocean, Shirayuki pulled him downwards towards the bigger part of the castle. Zen groaned but looked up as he was pulled. He saw the eel getting smaller and smaller above them, shaking its head and coughing, lashing around madly in the clouded water.

Zen turned away and swam next to Shirayuki. She darted down the wall until she saw a small, somewhat ruined fence. As she ducked behind it and Zen followed, the Second Prince wondered what the stone fence once was. It was like another wall, but only reached up to his waist. And underwater, what use was that? But he didn't question it out loud.

The wall was cracked and old, but it gave enough shade to hide the flashes of light Shirayuki and Zen's tail gave off. "Why do all your tails so sparkly?" Zen hissed in annoyance, trying to bend his tail so he could cover it with his torso.

"I don't know. Now shush." Shirayuki looked around. To their left, the open ocean. To their right, the main body of the palace. It glowed eerily in the dark, a looming structure Zen was sure they couldn't break in.

"We need to get out of here." Zen said.

"We need to get my pearls."

Zen sighed. "Where would they even be?"

"With the guards, most likely." Shirayuki put her finger against her bottom lip as she thought. "This way." She swam to the right. Zen's hair followed the current she left. He sighed, but saw no choice but to follow her. The water was chilly as they swam along the curve of the prison tower.

Zen looked up. The surface was miles above them, a mass of moving water. He thought he would feel some sort of pressure, but he felt weightless. He was so preoccupied thinking about that, he didn't realize Shirayuki had stopped until he bumped into her.

She gasped softly and turned to glare at him.

"Sorry." He whispered. "Why'd you stop?"

"I thought I heard something."

He was about to open his mouth to answer, when she pressed her finger against his lips. She moved in closer to him and listened.

Zen closed his eyes to listen.

Sure enough, a soft, sweet voice drifted through the water towards him. The more he listened, the more he relaxed. Before he knew it, he was rocking back and forth to the melody. His fin flicked open and closed. A small pain grew in his chest. At first it was unbearable, but soon it grew until his entire torso burned mercifully. The voice seemed to tell him that he would never find warmth under the sea, but the voice could give him all the heat he did needed.

Shirayuki's hand tightened over his lips. She cursed under her breath, and Zen gabbed her shoulders. She gasped. "Zen?"

Zen opened his eyes. He couldn't make out her facial features, she was just a green and red blur. "I need to go." He whispered after she removed her hand.

"What? Go where? We need to get my pearls-"

"Shh, I can't hear the voice." Zen looked up, trying to find the source. He swam upwards. "Where did you go?" He asked the dark water.

In response, a single line reached his ears.

 _"Come into my hearth, into my warmth..."_

"Yes." He responded. He started to swim forward, when a sharp tug on his tail stopped him. He looked down, and saw the mermaid holding him back.

"Zen, wait! You're hearing a calling spell, you have to fight it!"

"I don't want to. Let go." He told the mermaid. He yanked his tail free of her grasp and away from her outstretched hands before he could stop him. He heard the voice again, and chased it into the depths.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello! Finally got a break from schoolwork to finish this chapter off! We have a lot happening here. The setting to this chapter is so beautiful in my mind, I wish I could draw. But no spoilers, just read and find out what I mean! Lol, anyways. I hope you're ready, as now the plot starts to really kick in haha. We're almost done with this semester, which is crazy to me. Time's gone by so fast! Alright, I don't have anything else to say. Hope you enjoy, and remember, review!**

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"Zen, stop!" She hissed. The ex-human, now mer ignored her. He rushed through the water like his life depended on it. His fin spread and sent the water spiraling back towards Shirayuki. Aggravated, she lifted into the air and put her arms forward, slipping through the water like a minnow. When she was over Zen, she lunged downwards.

But Zen saw her coming. He twisted around onto his back and caught her, spinning with her so quickly Shirayuki's hair tangled over her back. "Zen, listen to me! To my voice!" She ordered.

He grasped her shoulders. He pushed her away from him, but in that moment Shirayuki grabbed his wrist. She winced when she saw his eyes. They were dull, his eyelids drooping and the only light a feral need. They weren't the eyes she liked to see on him. Zen ignored her clinging to his wrist and swam on, towing Shirayuki along as if she was nothing more than a strand of kelp.

The singing was just getting clearer as Zen rounded the tower. Shirayuki couldn't help but glance up and around as she kicked her tail to keep up with the Prince. Where were all the electric eels? The guards? Why hadn't the eels sounded the alarm yet?

 _"Come hither, come nearer. I cannot stand to be apart from you…"_

Shirayuki gritted to her teeth. She kicked her tail and crawled up Zen's arm, until she was holding his shoulder. He didn't even look at her. She had to counter the singing. She had to stop Zen before his reckless need to follow the song got them caught. Shirayuki held Zen's shoulders and thought of a song to sing.

 _"Stop, no more. Stop, before you fall."_ She began.

Zen jerked like an eel had grabbed his fin. He kept swimming forward, but he turned his head to look back at her.

 _"Let me protect you. Let me guide you home."_ Shirayuki sang softly, only to Zen.

His eyes brightened, ever so slightly, then darkened again.

" _Come be mine tonight."_ The other song broke through the water like a tidal wave. He turned away from her and pushed ahead.

"No!" She took a deep breath and put her head closer to Zen's body.

 _"I will be your guide through the darkness of nights. Your shade in the harshest of lights. Your boat in the roughest of waves."_

Zen's muscles tensed and relaxed under her grip.

 _"No more, before you fall. Let me protect you. Let me guide you home."_

Zen turned to look at her again.

She grasped his hand.

 _"Come now and realize, the home you seek is not here. Let me protect you, guide you."_

Zen's eyes narrowed and he slowed. Shirayuki took this chance and pulled back, spreading her tail and plunging it downwards. They stopped, Zen bending and slowly spinning up and down to face her.

 _"I wish to keep you safe, I wish to hold you dear. But I cannot do that down here."_

Zen's breath labored, his gills closing one by one to then open as one.

 _"I will be your guide through the darkness of nights. Your shade in the harshest of lights. Your boat in the roughest of waves."_ Shirayuki was struggling to remember the words. She hadn't ever sung this song before.

Zen's fingers slipped around until they were wrapped around her palm. Shirayuki squeezed his hand back.

 _"Let me protect you. Let me guide you home."_

Zen's eyebrows furrowed and he leaned closer to her.

This is when Shirayuki faltered. She remembered the last time she had sang to Zen, and the memory of him brushing her hair back ever so slightly as he pressed his lips to hers made her stumble.

And the other singer took over. _"Come hither, come near. Come deep into the sea to feel safe with me."_

Zen's eyes clouded over. Shirayuki was sure for an instant he gave her a pitying look. He turned and started to swim away.

"No, Zen. Zen, wait!" Shirayuki saw no choice but to follow him. She couldn't give up.

She followed Zen all the way to a small hole. Shirayuki stopped while Zen plunged straight through. It was located at the bottom of the prisoner's tower, just barely big enough for a mer to fit. It was covered in moss and algae, and a faint green glow was slowly flickering as Zen's fin blocked it then showed it again. Shirayuki glanced up. They were on the other side of where their cell had been. Far above, electric eels flickered. But none seemed to notice them.

Shirayuki glanced down again. She bit her lip, then plunged down after Zen. Her head spun with how tight the water felt around her. She couldn't move her tail too much out of fear of hitting the top and bottom of the tunnel. Swiftly she followed Zen. The singing seemed to echo through the walls, as if the tower itself was humming along. No wonder Zen was so entranced. Shirayuki bit her lip as she swam, her shirt's fabric snagging slightly on a small rock for a moment. She stopped to free it, then darted after Zen.

Zen ducked out of the slanted hole and Shirayuki had enough time to grab his fin and pull it back. He didn't even look at her. He lifted his arms up, and then Shirayuki noticed the current rushing through this water. She crawled up Zen's tail, wrapping her tail around his like she would when she was a child playing with the other mers. This effectively stopped Zen from moving, and gave her the high ground. She lifted her arms and covered Zen's ears. It wasn't enough to totally block out the sound, but it did buffer it just enough for Zen to stop fighting. He sank to the floor, Shirayuki with him. She didn't trust herself to let go of his tail yet. She looked around while she had the moments.

They were behind an odd rock formation. It was old and cracked, like the remains of a coral piece. It was good enough of a cover, Shirayuki supposed. But if anyone looked too hard, they would easily see their tails. The room beyond the naturally formed coral cage was alight with a massive _Vidre_ crystal. The crystal was easily the size of a blue whale, dead center the massive tower. It was here that the singing was coming from. Shirayuki scanned desperately, trying to follow the voice. Her eyes took her to the top of the massive, glowing structure.

A mermaid was sitting atop the crystal. It took Shirayuki a minute to recognize the Queen. She looked evil as ever, even when her eyes were shut. Her tail rocked slightly to a silent melody as she sang the cruel luring song.

Shirayuki blinked at herself. She called this song cruel, yet wasn't it the exact song she had used time and time again?

The Queen finished the final verse of the song; _"Now, come. Sleep in my arms, and under the cradle of the sea. Your tears will be stopped, come and be with me alone. Come into my hearth, into my warmth. Let me protect you. Let me show you. Forever more you will belong to the sea, forevermore you shall belong to me."_ On the last note, the Queen opened her eyes. She took a deep breath, then looked directly at Shirayuki and Zen.

Zen might as well have been a dead fish for how his body was relaxed. Shirayuki didn't drae remove her hands from his ears, but she looked at his eyes to see a glassy, sleepy gaze focused on nothing. She cursed.

"You would use that language in front of your Queen?" The Queen's voice still boomed. Looking around, Shirayuki could understand why it had been so clear. The tower was empty with many holes all throughout the tops of it. The sound was amplified and then thrust into the ocean. This room had to be specifically for singing.

Shirayuki heard a zapping noise and looked back. Fear rushed through her. At least four electric eels were in the tunnel. All of them had their eyes on Shirayuki and Zen, and two were angrily sending sparks through the water. They were trapped.

The Queen swam up to the coral fence and folded her arms. "Did you think escape would be that easy?"

Shirayuki bit her lip.

The Queen gestured to Zen. "I knew he wasn't a real mer. He's the Second Prince of the country that sank ours."

Shirayuki's alarm made her squeeze Zen's tail tighter. He didn't respond. "The Second? There's a first?"

"Yes, you barnacle." The Queen rolled her eyes and adjusted her crown. "I'm surprised you didn't know that. You're his girlfriend, right?"

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Shirayuki felt her ears grow hot. "Anyways, how did you know that?"

"A little minnow told me." The Queen sneered. Her skirts gently drifted upwards. Shirayuki caught the motion and looked down. There was a current coming upwards, which would also explain how the sound moved so swiftly, but she couldn't see where it was coming from. "The original plan was to drown him, but of course the human pirates failed in that trivial task." The Queen continued, making Shirayuki's head jerk up.

"You…You dealt with _pirates_? You hired them?!"

"The _point_ is, my dear. Since he couldn't die then, he shall die now." She nodded to the tunnel.

Shirayuki turned, and sure enough, the electric eels were creeping down the tunnel. She could hear the crackles of electricity running through their bodies. "And me too?" She demanded. "Are you going to kill me as well?"

The Queen shrugged. "I see no reason not to. You're just another mer, what makes you so special to let you live?"

Shirayuki had to think. She had to get them out of this. She checked Zen's eyes again, but he was still lost to the song. "Why go to all this trouble for him specifically? Why not the first prince?"

The Queen let out a chuckle that echoed all around the hall. "He's only the first step! The first of the many. We want the Wistalia line gone. Forever. Let Clarines go up in their accursed flames, let the people of the land burn. It is time to enact justice!" The Queen laughed again, then grabbed the bars of the cage.

"That's….awful." Shirayuki managed. But her voice was strangled. She stared at Zen. She had the full intent to kill him as well – for revenge. How could she accuse the Queen of evilness, when her plan was just a larger version of Shirayuki's?

 _I will not justify my ancestors' actions by any means_ _._ _I am_ _not_ _my ancestors. They are as distant to me as you are. I don't know their names, none of them are hailed as heroes._ Zen's words came back to Shirayuki. _"And to blame me for their actions will do nothing to cease your rage._

"You can't dare to call me awful. You've killed more than me."

"But at least I'm not planning to kill more!" Shirayuki blurted. She released Zen's head, uncurling her tail from around his tail. He sank to the floor without a blink. She swam up and got as close to the Queen's face as she could. "We'll stop you."

The Queen laughed again. "Have you seen your human? He's as good as gone already."

"I can combat your magic." Shirayuki glared.

"Can you? You did such a fine job of it before. Don't think I couldn't hear your feeble attempts, little mer."

Shirayuki took a few deep breaths. She closed her eyes. She needed a healing song. She wished she wasn't a herbalist. If she was a proper doctor, she would know the proper songs. But, unfortunately the only healing songs she knew were to help the potency of plants.

Shirayuki could feel static reaching her scales. She turned and yelped. Two of the four eels were slithering out of the hole. Slowly, moving like stalkers, they began to swim upwards to the top of the cage.

The Queen backed up. "Oh yes. You won't have time to heal your human. He will be the first to die." She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. In this chamber, it sounded like a blast of thunder.

The eels lunged for Zen, mouths open.

Shirayuki panicked. She threw herself over Zen's unmoving body. Sure enough, two pairs of sharp teeth buried into her skin. One got her in the side, the other on the tail. She pushed off of Zen just in time for the electricity to rush through. She clenched her teeth as her body convulsed. It felt like she was being cooked alive.

A horrible laugh reached her ears. "Fine, her first."

Two more points of physical pain reached her. One was on her fin, the other was right next to her neck. The electricity made her lean backwards and hit the coral reef. Her teeth jittered in her mouth, her ears rang.

However, the electricity suddenly stopped.

Shirayuki gasped, trying to blink the stars out of her eyes. She could only just blink. She felt herself sinking, but she couldn't move any of her muscles. Her entire body felt tensed up. Her gills flared rapidly.

"What?" The Queen hissed into the still water. "What's happening-ah!" Shirayuki heard her shout and a faint thump, but she couldn't turn her head to see. Her shoulder hit the ground and a leftover arch of electricity made her vision go dark again. When it came back, she was staring at Zen's face. Because of that, she watched as his pupils shrunk. He twitched, then shook his head.

"Ugh." He reached up and put his hand on his forehead, running his fingers through his air. She felt a loose current of water brush against her front and assumed Zen moved his tail. His eyes lightened, and then he blinked. He was back. "What hit me?" He groaned. Then he saw her, and his gills flared. "Shirayuki!" He reached down for her than jumped back as he was shocked.

Shirayuki's vision was fading. She blinked slowly, watching as Zen turned his head to look up at something.

"What is this? Who's there?" Zen lifted off the floor and out of her sight.

The last thing she heard was Zen's voice; "Please, help Shirayuki!"


	12. Chapter 12

**ITS FINALLY WINTER BREAK! Goodness Golly, this semester has been crazy! Unfortunately, I have a hectic break as well. But never fear! My idea train for this plot is really rolling now. We're getting into the thick of it. And again, I warn this will probably end up being at least 20 chapters. So much to write! But all amazing! Hopefully?! We shall see! Okay, I'm gonna stop rambling now and go to bed as it is 2 am. Lol, goodnight! And remember, review!**

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Zen woke to the sight of a beautiful mermaid, dying. He jolted up. "Shirayuki!" He tried to touch her, but a jolt of electricity lashed out at his fingertips and he backed up. He felt the water swirl around him. His heart pumping, he turned and saw the Queen of the Ocean pressed up against the massive glowing _Vidre_. Where she touched it, an angry red color was growing like an infection. She struggled in vain, her teeth clenched as she glared at Zen from the corner of her eye.

Zen's tail lashed out in defense as something brushed against it gently. A dead electric eel was floating listlessly through the swirling water. Its eyes were dark, it's mouth open and sharp teeth stained with blood.

Zen looked up. No one was around them, but as he watched, a slither of light moved into the room from one of the many holes high above them near the roof. The light took shape – by now Zen knew the shape of a mermaid when he saw one. "What is this? Who's there?!" He shouted.

The light shifted more and more, until color began to seep into the shape of a mermaid. Her tail filled with a million colors, her skin a dark brown that caught all the light. Her face was still lost in the light, but her hair fanned out in beautiful blue waves, decorated with green highlights and white sparkles that made Zen think of the surface of the ocean.

Zen looked down at Shirayuki. She convulsed every now and then, a few clouds of blood being pulled from four spots where Zen assumed she had been bitten into swirling water. The current pulled on his head and every fiber of Zen's skin tingled, as if the water had been filled with colors he couldn't see. Shirayuki's tail was completely still. Zen looked up to the mermaid again. "Please, help Shirayuki!"

The mermaid smiled serenely. She spread her arms and the swirling of the water stopped. She looked down at Zen and Shirayuki, and the coral withered and died around them. The color drained out of it and it snapped into pieces, floating down to the far below floor.

Zen gasped as the current pulled him off the edge, into open water and towards the mermaid. He still couldn't make out her face, so he looked down instead. He didn't bother trying to fight the current, he was honestly too stunned to. He saw Shirayuki was lifted like him. He flared his fin and hesitated just enough to have her catch up. She left red tendrils like slowly unraveling ribbons. She moaned slightly with each motion, which at least made Zen think she was still alive. "Who-Who are you?" Zen asked. The current released him as he found himself right in front of the mermaid.

"Come." She spoke. Her voice seemed to come from a million places at once.

Zen had to start kicking his tail. "Shirayuki…and the Queen…what just happened?"

"Later." The mermaid shushed. Her colors vanished into the light again, and she swam out to the open water.

The water kicked up and seemed to follow her, carrying Shirayuki along. As she passed him, her eyes fluttered just barely open. "Z-Z-e-"

"I'm coming." He blurted. With one last glance at the Queen, still pinned against the _Vidre_ that was still turning red, he followed the current out a large hole and into the dark water.

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They swam until Zen experienced a sore fin for the first time in his life. He didn't want to say anything, but luckily he didn't have to. The water current accelerated and carried him alongside Shirayuki, giving his tail a break. As they moved, he worried about her. She lie unconscious in the water, occasionally she would groan or twitch and Zen would hope he was still alive. He wanted to touch her, but every time he tried he just got shocked.

The mermaid in front of him stayed a light. Zen kept looking back, but they had left the castle far behind.

The current carried them down into the seafloor where a small rock overshadowed a large cave. The cave was filled with _Vidre_ , and live sea life swam around its many winding passages and caverns. Zen stiffened when he saw a cluster of electric eels, but the voice spoke again.

"Do not worry. They will not harm you."

The current suddenly stopped for him, nearly sending him sprawling before he spread his fin and kicked back against the water. Shirayuki was carried on and around the room once before floating over what looked like a small volcano. Bubbles rushed up through it and somehow Shirayuki levitated over them.

Zen looked around. The room was filled with soft white lights. On closer inspection, Zen realized they were still _Vidre,_ but he had never seen _Vidre_ glow like this.

The light went around to the other side of Shirayuki and solidified again. This time her face became clear. She was astonishingly beautiful. Her lips were thick, her eyebrows light and her eyes sparkling with all the colors of her tail. Her skin was smooth as sea glass. But while she was beautiful, she was also terrifying. Something almost evil looking glimmered in the depths of her eyes. She was mysterious and unknown, powerful in more than just her beauty. Zen's whole presence trembled in front of her.

"Who-Who are you?" Zen asked.

The woman brushed her hands through her hair. "I am the Sea." She spoke.

Zen blinked. "Like…the ocean? The Sea?" He waved his arms through the water. " _This_ ocean?"

She smiled. "Yes, Zen Wisteria."

"What…Why…" Zen had too many questions. His fin was flicking agitatedly, sending him further up towards the roof of the cave.

The Sea smiled. She put her hand underneath Shirayuki. The bubbles running through her fingers turned a green color, floating up and blending in to the unconscious mermaid's tail. "You and Shirayuki both have grand destinies ahead of you." The Sea started. "I couldn't let Kay kill ether of you."

The words reminded Zen of what Obi had said. "Obi said…he said you thought that we could save you?"

"And your land as well, Prince of Clarines." The Sea agreed.

Shirayuki moaned slightly.

The Sea spread her fingers and the bubbles increased, surrounding Shirayuki in flurries so thick his view of her became a little jostled. Zen looked to the roof, where the bubbles gathered on the top and were slowly forming a greenish cloud the color of emeralds. "Kay and Jules have partnered with a powerful figure Above Surface – you'd call that land. He is a Prince as well, though I am not sure who."

"Why would they do that?" Zen desperately tried to think of any Princes who would be out against Clarines Kingdom. The Kingdom had a lot of enemies, this was true. But specific Princes'?

The Sea sighed. Zen felt the water move behind him, and yelped as a Great White Shark slipped through the entrance and into the room, close enough to scrape against his back. It glanced at Zen, before moving around the outskirts of the room. "Oh, do not be afraid." The Sea murmured. She raised her free hand and the shark moved to rest its chin on her palm. "This is Kollo, he is one of my many children."

"Um…."

"Kollo is here to send a message to Obi. Tell him we're here, will you?" The Sea asked.

Kollo didn't do anything to affirm or deny the message as far as Zen could see. The Great White swam out the entrance, blowing past Zen with little more than a glance.

Shirayuki stirred slightly, then seemed to relax.

The Sea twisted her hand and the bubbles turned pink. "You're quiet, something on your mind?" She asked it softly, with a small smile.

"Yes?" Zen blinked. "I'm just…confused."

"As you should be."

"Great." Zen took a second to close his eyes and breathe. It was a harder thing to do when he was breathing salt water and through gills, not his mouth, but he did his best. Then he looked up. "Is Shirayuki going to be alright?"

"She's still alive, and she will get better. But it will be a while before she can move again." The Sea sighed. She reached her hand up and gently ran her fingers through Shirayuki's hair. "The poor mermaid."

"How will Shirayuki get around if she can't move?" Zen's fin flared out. "I read that if sharks stop moving they'll die, is it the same for mers?"

The Sea scoffed. "How little you humans truly understand about my realm." She pulled her hand back from the bubbles and the colors stopped. She looked at Zen. "My dear Prince, you have surely been a mer long enough to know that you can remain still without suddenly dying."

"Well, yeah."

"Shirayuki will not need to worry about moving around the Sea for a while yet." The ocean sighed and swam around to play with Shirayuki's hair. "I wish I could keep you in my domain, but I fear that this war will have to be stopped on the land."

Zen's heart skipped a beat. "We're-We're going back to the land?"

The Sea nodded sadly.

Zen resisted the urge to spin in a circle of joy. "How?"

"I will have Obi take you to the Circle of Tides near your land." The Sea said. Seeing his face, she explained with a small wince. "It is the only way to turn human. You and Shirayuki will be put in a whirlpool. Don't make that face, Prince. A royal should remained composed."

Zen scoffed. "I'm not great at following the rules of being royal."

The Sea smiled warmly. She swam around Shirayuki and towards Zen, getting a little too close. She grabbed his hand and studied it. "I think you're a fine royal." The Sea promised.

"You'd be the first." Zen muttered. "Down here, I feel like every mer hates my guts."

"Because of how your kingdom sunk Atlantis?"

Zen nodded. "I _know_ it's not my fault, but every mer I've met thinks differently."

"You haven't met enough mers, my dear Prince." The Sea smiled and flipped his hand over. She trailed her nail carefully down the lines of his palm. Zen shivered, although he wasn't sure why.

Zen had to agree with that. "When are we leaving for the Circle of Tides?"

The Sea finished tracing his palm and switched to his other hand. She looked up at him, her eyes a rainbow of colors, swirling like they themselves were whirlpools. "I'm afraid not for a while." Instead of tracing his palm, she let his hand go and looked over to Shirayuki.

Zen's heart dropped into his fin. He sank – literally, a few inches in the water. "How long is a while?"

The Sea sighed and put her hand on his cheek. "Shirayuki must heal. I can't cure her overnight."

Zen closed his eyes. "Why can't there be a way for me to turn back alone? Why do I need her?"

The Sea's hand was warm, like a ray of sunshine. "I haven't seen love sickness in hundreds of years, its effects are lost in my memory. I could feel your pain when you were separated. I could feel your life forces waning."

"There has to be a cure." Zen sounded desperate, even to himself. It was hard to hold composure in front of the Sea.

"There is. I have Sharkmen all across my domain hunting for a lead. You have to hold on a little longer." The Sea promised. She reached behind his head and gently pulled him down to her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around his back. "You're very brave, my dear Prince."

Zen allowed himself to relax into the hug. He felt like a small child, but he appreciated the comfort. It was the first real bit of sympathy Zen had really felt since entering the underwater world.

After a minute, the Sea pulled back. She stroked his head and looked around, then whistled softly into the air. After a small moment, where she completely pulled herself away from him and let him gather his composure again, a large manta ray drifted into the room. It looked more intelligent than Zen would have expected. Zen had only ever seen sea cows from afar, only now was he realizing how big they actually were.

It's back was a smooth black and its stinger was long. It looked nonthreatening, but Zen wasn't fooled.

"This is Lioj. Lioj can be Shirayuki's support animal until she is healed."

"Support animal?"

Lioj moved to Shirayuki and slowly spun around her, causing her hair to be pulled with the currents. She murmured and Lioj stopped, coming over to the Sea. The Sea lifted her arms and Lioj affectionately swam into her hug. She laughed as she was spun once by the ray, who was just bigger than her by a little. "Lioj, thank you for your service." The Sea fearlessly grabbed Lioj's stinger and used it to pull him back into her. She faced Zen. "Once Shirayuki is healed, I will send Obi. He will take you to the Circle of Tides, and there you will finally be human again."

"And…Shirayuki will be human, too?"

The Sea nodded, pursing her lips. She let go of Lioj, who lazily glided around the room. "Not forever. I would never condemn my creatures to that fate if I could help it."

"What, coming on land?"

"Being human." The Sea corrected. There wasn't a hint of coldness in her voice that Zen could sense.

"Why is it seen as such a bad thing?" Zen almost asked if the Sea bore a grudge against him and Clarines too- for sinking Atlantis. That was a fact he was _still_ trying to process. "Being human isn't too awful."

The Sea raised her hand. "I meant no offense." She stared down at her tail. "I used to be very lonely, you know." She waved her hand, and two large stones rumbled out of the ground. She sat down on the taller of the two and gestured for Zen to come sit next to her, against the wall. Zen swam forward and awkwardly pushed his butt (if he even technically had one; that is) onto the rock. He curled his tail around himself in a way he had once seen Shirayuki do. It was comfortable enough, he supposed.

"This was back before anything living existed, of course. I was born from the tears of stars, many millions of years ago. I filled this planet, and gained conscious. I was alone for thousands of years. But then, I had an ingenious idea." She lifted her hands and cupped them. Just in the base of her palm, a small sparkle appeared. It wasn't white, per say, it was more just the absence of color. "I had all of this power. I could _feel_ it. So, I created with it. The first few attempts were horrible messes. My power of creation is so easily mixed up with destruction." She rolled her eyes, as if this was an everyday issue.

Zen tried to bit back his sudden terror of the little sparkle.

The Sea continued. "I persisted, and one day, I made something. That something was only an atom, only a miniscule speck that didn't even have the capability to do anything more than breathe. But that was enough. I was so proud." She smiled faintly at the little sparkle, as if it were a living thing that needed reassuring. "Sadly, that was all I could do. I made millions of atoms, but they didn't fulfill my loneliness."

She closed her fist over the atom, and the light died under her fingertips. She smiled at Zen. "Then the Moon saw me."

"The Moon…saw you?" Zen pictured another deity like the one he spoke to, casually leaning off the edge of the crescent moon and talking to the ocean.

"Yes. She called out, and I must have scared the stars out of her with my response." The Sea chuckled. "But She came to me, and has been my best friend for millions of years." The Sea looked at Zen. "For you, the moon is lightyears away, yes?"

"…Yes?" Zen answered.

The Sea hummed and shrugged. "Anyways, she is still my very best friend. No, I dare say She is my lover. I respond to her call constantly. I can always hear her chattering, and I never fail to listen."

"So…"

"So, when my atoms suddenly began to have life, I was shocked. I had all but forgotten about them. The moon advised me to let it grow and see what happened. Years passed, and now we are here. With you. With humans."

Zen swallowed. He wasn't sure if he would like where this story was going.

"When the first few creatures entered the land, they left my domain. I can't see past my own self, you see. But humans? You stayed in the water for many thousands of years."

"What? But we're from the land."

"No you are not. You were originally mine. You were the original mers. But overtime, some of you grew restless and curios." She ruffled Zen's hair affectionately. "My little curious ones, as the Moon always liked to call you. Those who left to see the land saw so many things, I bet." A sad, wistful look crossed her glowing gaze. "They didn't come back for so long. The Moon told me of the things they did, and suddenly they were everywhere. They built boats and they come back to me now still."

"What does this have to do with me? Or Atlantis? Or why being human is so bad?"

The Sea removed her hand from his head. He absent mindedly tried to fix it. "Oh, I'm babbling a little. Forgive me." She took a deep breath. "I gave Atlantis as it was, fully formed, to the humans. When you hear-or, have heard that the mers were forced to come to be because of the loss of their home, you are hearing a wrong legend. I wanted the island to remind the humans of what they once were to me. I wanted them to…to come home." She held herself sadly, looking away from Zen. "But, they did not. Instead, I lost my remaining mers to the land that was meant for the already formed humans. It was horrifying to me."

"So…all the mers were human at one point, then?"

She shook her head. "No. Atlantis was both on land and in the ocean. The city moved down with the beach and into my domain. I hoped that would be enough to prompt them to come back. But instead, my mers morphed into something like amphibians." She moved her hands as if to indicate the shape. "They had webbing between their fingers and toes, they lived out of the water but always returned to it for moisture and food."

"This is a weird image."

The Sea shrugged. "I couldn't stop them, and so thought that my work was limited. Therefore, when the Moon told me that the Atlantians had made contact with the humans I wasn't too bothered. But when She then told me that they were fighting, I worried."

Lioj had been circling Shirayuki during this story, but he turned and swam to land on the ground in front of the mers.

"The night of the war…" The Sea murmured, her eyes far away. "It was carnage as I have never seen. I tried and tried desperately to get them to stop, but both sides ignored me. Clarines laid waste to the Atlantis."

"That part is true. It really was my country that did that?" Zen murmured. It didn't surprise him, true. But a part of him so desperately wished that it wasn't so.

"Yes." The Sea held her hand out for his.

He took it after a moment of hesitation.

She held it tightly, but only as if she wanted support. "Clarines razed the land. My gift to them, they ripped it apart. No blade of grass was left unsullied, no column left standing. The people fled to the water, and there my biggest regret lies. I was so busy screaming at the humans to stop, that I nearly killed out my Atlantians."

"The Atlantians could not rebuild?" Zen asked. "The amount of destruction you're describing – how long did this battle last?"

"The battle was pathetic, it took little more than six hours to send all the people into the water. It was the destruction of the island that took so long, and the reason the mers became what they are now." The Sea took a deep breath. "Three months I watched helplessly as the humans turned the island into nothing more than a mulch pit."

"Wow." Zen felt heavy. "Wh-What on earth could have caused such violence?"

The Sea looked up at the roof. "The Moon told me She wasn't sure. To this day I cannot be sure."

"And that is why being human is bad." Zen murmured.

"Yes. I am always afraid of them. Do you not understand? Their rage was incomprehensible. Who's to say that this will not happen again? Humans' emotions are too uncontrollable, too powerful."

"Mers aren't?"

"I can control mers here. Why do you think I created the Sharkmen?"

Zen stared at his fingers as they clasped around the palm of the Sea. "I…I'm sorry." He didn't want to hold it anymore, but for that reason he squeezed it tighter.

The Sea laughed. "I appreciate your apologize, but Prince, it was a long time ago. Wounds have healed. I reclaimed the land that was Atlantis so my mers could now use it safely under my domain."

Zen nodded mutely. "If…If you aren't mad, then why do you let mers sink ships like they do? Shirayuki told me it was for revenge."

The Sea pursed her lips. "It is. I do not deny that." She let out a great sigh. "I cannot stop my mers from singing. If I must admit it, I believe it brings me a bitter satisfaction as well. If I couldn't have my humans in life, their death surely must belong to me."

Fear flared up in Zen's chest, but he hid it well. He even kept his fin from flicking in and out anxiously. He looked to Lioj, who looked at him blankly.

"I am sorry to have offended you." The Sea said. She let go of his hand and swam off the rock. It sunk back into the ground as she circled Shirayuki again. "That is the true story of what happened to Atlantis, and why I worry about condemning Shirayuki to the Above Surface for a time."

"How-How long will she remain human?"

The Sea looked at Zen through a myriad of bubbles. "Anxious to get rid of your bond, aren't you?"

Zen snorted. "She just makes me nervous."

The Sea laughed and spun once in a twirl. "She will heal first and foremost. Then she shall turn human until-" The Sea stopped. She turned, facing out into a corridor. Her tail stilled, then lashed angrily. She turned back to Zen. "I cannot stay in this form for much longer. I sense a large disturbance far away."

"A disturbance?" Zen got up, swimming forward until she put a hand out to stop him.

Her mouth was just barely open, her head lowered as she seemed o obe listening. Then she winced. "No." She paled, and looked at the manta ray underneath Zen. "Lioj, take Zen and Shirayuki home immediately. I want all the mers inside their homes _now_."

"What?" Zen blinked. Lioj shook himself free of the sand and swam into the bubbles. Shirayuki dropped onto his back, and he easily glided forward with the mermaid curling up on his back.

"Do you remember my failed attempts at life? Someone is releasing one – many, of them right now." The Sea swam through the bubbles fearlessly and grabbed Zen's head. Her multicolored eyes were a glowing haze, he was barely able to pick out the outlines of her irises. "Now remember, my brave Prince. Keep faith, and believe. Take care of Shirayuki for me, and please, don't let the past control the future." She stroked his hair as she spoke, when she finished she pulled his head forward and kissed his forehead.

To Zen, it felt as if he had just been slammed into boulders. He jerked back, shaking his head dizzily as the room spun. The Sea began to glow, her form fading. "Remember our talk, brave Prince. Do not let the past control the future."

Zen sunk like a stone, but before he hit the ground, he felt Lioj roll underneath him. He looked over to Shirayuki as they moved away, and that was the last feeling he had before sleep grabbed him and pulled him down like undertow.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello all! As per usual, typical apology for posting zip over winter break. I've had a pretty stressful break, long story short I had some medical issues. But instead of using the recovery time to write, I just shiny hunted on Pokémon. Forgive me! Anyways, I did manage to get this chapter written, although it went through some serious editing and revising. I hope you enjoy it, and it tides (ha, ocean puns) you over until the next one comes out. Although being that I'm back at my college for the time being that might be hard. Remember, review!**

* * *

Shirayuki was highly aware of her reputation around the pod, and it made her incredibly uncomfortable.

She was the mer who disappeared for days after being sick, who then came back with a paralyzed tail, a huge manta ray as her service beast, and an unknown merman who had one too many colors in his tail. Every time she left her home with Lioj, she got stray looks and whispers tickling her ears through the pressure.

Business was slower at her shop. Zen helped the best he could, but there wasn't much he needed to do with almost no customers. He helped her harvest the herbs she needed, occasionally ground up mixtures for her, and then would hand them off. Lioj was a little too big to sit comfortably in the shop, so he waited at the backdoor or at the window. He had tried to stay near the front, but no mer felt comfortable enough around him to swim by.

"Shirayuki?" Zen asked, his arms wrapped around the basket full of weeds and kelp of all kinds. He swam alongside Lioj's undulating motion easily. "Are you alright?"

Shirayuki nodded. "Yeah, sorry. My head's lost in the waves."

Zen's white hair had dimmed from its time away from the sun, very light dustings of yellow mixing with the white to give it an almost golden shimmer. He smiled, then adjusted the basket in his hands.

Shirayuki studied him. In ways, he had adjusted to life under the sea well. He moved his tail with no hesitation. His muscles had tightened around his core, although his new collection of shirts kept them hidden for once. He had learned to fight like a mer, with stabs instead of slashes thanks to one of the few mers in Shirayuki's village who didn't seem to care where he came from. He had better endurance and was even faster. However, there were other ways he hadn't adjusted. He occasionally would try to breathe through his nose and end up coughing like he had choked. He was getting sick of seafood, which didn't make sense to Shirayuki but he explained he had animals on land that tasted different. When he had free time, he would stare longingly at the surface. He sometimes spoke English in response to something said to him in Mermish. He didn't sleep well, although Shirayuki had done her best in helping him set up a mattress of the strongest and softest kelp she could find. Therefore his eyes had bags under them and the blue seemed darker and less alive a million miles Below Surface.

At least they fought less.

Shirayuki's tail was aching slightly. She knew this was a good sign, it meant that slowly but surely feeling was returning to her. After feeling came movements. Zen had told her once she was healed the sea planned to make him human again…at the cost of her becoming one as well. A very scared part of Shirayuki hoped she never healed, because she would rather have a broken tail than no tail at all.

Lioj stopped suddenly.

Zen spun around, halting himself while he tilted his head. "Something wrong?"

Lioj was unmoving. Shirayuki rolled over on his back and put her hand on top of his head. "Are you alright?"

Then she sensed it. She looked to the left.

Zen followed her eyes and his tail fluttered rapidly, sending him upwards and then back down. "Oh my God."

Down towards the edge of the kelp forest, a long snout was emerging. Shirayuki watched, horrified, as the creature nosed its way free and slowly into open water. It was enormous. Its head was the size of a whale shark, with a mouth big enough to swallow a mer whole. Thousands of teeth showed, giving it an appearance of a maniac grin. Its skin was black and white, spotted. This creature had no need to camouflage itself, it was obviously an apex predator that would rather fight than flee. It had a short neck, and two massive flippers broke through the kelp to propel it forward. The flippers scooped water out of it's way, instead of moving with the water, the beast manipulated it. It's body was the length of a blue whale, with two slightly smaller fins towards it's backside. It had a stumpy but pointed tail. It swung itself in a tight circle to shake the clinging kelp strands on it.

Lioj trembled under Shirayuki's fingers.

"Shirayuki." Zen breathed, his gins flaring wide open in a poor concealment of panic. "What is that thing?"

Shirayuki had never seen anything like it. "A monster." She murmured. "I…I don't know."

The creature tired of circling itself and swam upwards at alarming speed. Shirayuki watched it swim thousands of feet in a mere few seconds, then slowly circle below the croppy surface. Shirayuki winced when he launched itself through the surface, and then landed with a boom loud enough to make her feel as if the world had just shaken on itself.

"We need to get out of here. Warn the village." Zen spoke fast, his tail was lashing at the water so hard it looked as if he couldn't control it.

"The pod." Shirayuki corrected numbly.

"Sure. Lioj, can you-" Zen stopped with a wince, as the creature had just exploded through the surface again. The landing vibrated the water and Zen covered his ears, letting the basket fall from his hands.

Lioj barely moved, but propelled himself forward still. He offered Zen his flipper. Zen grabbed it, and Lioj wiggled slightly to lunge through the water silently. Lioj was fast, but Shirayuki kept her eyes on the monster playing in the waves. It was so huge, she felt as if she was trying to swim past the moon. But Lioj was a strong and sturdy swimmer. It took them a few minutes to get far enough away from the monster for it to just be a shadow lunging at the surface. Even at a distance, Shirayuki could feel the impacts it had on the surface.

She had seen whales breaching. But this was not just breaching. It felt as if the creature was trying to attack the sea, viciously. Ramming itself against the sea like it was trying to beat it down. It became impossible to watch, so Shirayuki rolled over and looked forward. Still, she heard the booms. Whales sometimes did something like this during mating season. To warn off other males or possibly stun them with noise, they would reach their back fins into the air only to slam them down on the surface. But never had Shirayuki seen a whale breach its whole body for that practice. This was something else.

* * *

The next few minutes felt as if they took an eternity. The lights of the pod's home shone. The pod's home was a natural dip in the bedrock, and filled with natural rock formations that were easily shaped into homes. Shirayuki used to always love coming home after a long journey to see all the different lights of the _Vidre_ shimmering. They were a beacon against the cold sea.

But right now, they were a flare to that monster.

As they got closer, Shirayuki could already see some mers had come out and were slowly and cautiously lifting into open ocean to see what the booming sounds were. Shirayuki glanced back with a hard roll – she hated how limited her motions were. She could _just_ see the monster's shadow as it thrashed around, but it was so far. She would have to hope that the other members of her pod would see it to.

Two mers swam up to them. A merman with a mossy green tail named Kai and a merman with a glassy purple tail named Shiira. _"Shirayuki."_ Kai greeted. _"Do you know what that sound is?"_

Shirayuki had always liked Kai and Shiira. They were good friends of hers and helped her out when they were younger. Now they were a little more grown up and more interested in protecting the pod, but they were some of the few mers who could overlook her strange circumstances. _"Kind of?"_ She responded.

Zen swam forward. _"There's a horrifying creature not far from here. We need to get everyone to hide."_

Shiira gave Zen a startled glance. _"What do you mean horrifying creature?"_

 _"It's the truth!"_ Shirayuki struggled to lift her arm to point. Lioj moaned sympathetically at her when she winced and found she couldn't do it.

Zen pursed his lips at her, then turned and pointed at the shadowy figure far in the distance. _"Look there."_

Kai and Shiira followed his finger, narrowing their eyes. _"That could be anything from this distance."_

 _"The booms are in sync with it if you need more proof."_ Shirayuki said. She looked around nervously, as more and more mers were starting to lift into the open ocean to see. _"We need to get everyone to shelter."_

 _"We don't want to lock down the entire pod if it's not an actual emergency."_ Shiira said hesitantly.

 _"What if it is?"_ Zen demanded. _"Please, I know I'm not from here and you don't have a reason to trust me. But I spoke…I mean, if that monster is what I think it is we all need to take shelter immediately."_

Kai looked thoughtful. He looked around at the surrounding muttering mers. Then he sighed and shook his head. _"Even if it is something to fear, we don't have a code or anything. To get everyone inside would take hours, and to make sure the entire pod_ stayed _hidden is another thing entirely."_

 _"We have to try."_ Shirayuki pressed. She pushed herself further up on Lioj's back. _"I promise you Kai if this is what we think it may be the entire pod is in grave danger."_

Kai and Shiira looked at each other. Then they sighed in sinc. _"Alright, we'll see what we can do."_ Kai said.

Zen and Shirayuki sighed in relief and looked at each other. _"Thank you."_

The two mermen nodded at Shirayuki, then swam upwards. Their next actions made Shirayuki's eyes go wide and Zen gasped.

Kai cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted loudly into the water. _"Pod! This booming you here is a predator! Everyone is to stay inside their homes until the threat has passed!"_

Zen ran his fingers through his hair. "What are the odds that the water won't carry that?" He hissed in English.

A chatter of confused mers responding arose around them.

 _"What do you mean?!"_

 _"What are we hiding from?!"_

 _"We haven't done a pod lockdown in years!"_

Kai and Shiira spared a glance at Shirayuki, then Shiira swam forward. _"At ease, mers! It's just a precaution, and shouldn't last long."_

There was a few more minutes of chatter as Kai and Shiira convinced everyone to take shelter. During which Zen and Shirayuki stared at the surrounding ocean. They listened for the booms, which were still happening…but slower.

Kai and Shiira swam back up to Shirayuki and Zen as the mers began to swim back into their homes. _"We did what we could. I hope you're right about all this."_

 _"I hope you're not."_ Kai looked aghast at Shiira. _"If that thing is so dangerous that we can hear it hitting the surface from leagues away and Shirayuki thinks that all of us need to hide away then it's something I never want to meet."_

Shirayuki smiled a little hopelessly at Kai. She almost said something about how his shouting might have alerted the monster, but she didn't think it was worth it. _"Thank you, both."_ She said instead.

 _"Well, come on then. We should lock down with the rest of them."_ Shiira nudged Kai with his tail and dove downwards to help make sure the other mers got home safe.

Kai followed.

 _"Come on, we need to hide Lioj somewhere._ " Shirayuki said to Zen, who was still looking around. He didn't respond, so she tried it in English. "We need to hide Lioj."

Zen frowned, then looked at Shirayuki. "Let's hurry. The booming has stopped."

Shirayuki felt her blood chill.

Zen grabbed Lioj's fin and they dove downwards. Lioj glided straight to Shirayuki's home, landing with a small spiral in her back garden on the seafloor. Zen dropped the basket of kelp next to the entrance, then swam over and held his arms out to Shirayuki.

Shirayuki bit back her resentment at having to be carried into her own home, but she tried to push herself up to make it easier for Zen to scoop her up. He lifted her no issues, then swam into the house. He looked around with a frown. "Where can Lioj hide?"

 _"Upstairs. The issue is how we get him through the doorways."_ Shirayuki responded in Mermish out of habit.

Zen nodded and swam up to the second floor. He set Shirayuki down on her mattress, swimming over his make shift one on the floor near the window. _"There. What should I do about the kelp?"_

Shirayuki shrugged. _"If it's a lockdown, we can still swim around our homes. You shouldn't have taken me all the way up here. We can go back down once Lioj is settled up here."_

Zen nodded. He looked around. _"I think maybe he can fit through the back door if he curls in on himself and spins in."_ Zen put arm across his chest and one across his back and twirled through the air to demonstrate, his fin curling into a tight spiral before opening again.

Shirayuki nodded. _"Give it a try."_

Zen swam downstairs again and Shirayuki sighed. She was tempted to lie down, but she knew she probably wouldn't be able to right herself again without help. While she had the quiet, she closed her eyes and tried to listen for any booms, or any stray currents. She couldn't feel for them without her arms, which she couldn't lift. So instead she listened.

There were no booms, but the monster must have been close. She thought she could hear some rhythmic swishing noises, which wasn't too unusual. Every creature with a tail in the sea had a meter to which they swam, so it could have been anything. And sound was distorted in the water, it might have only happened to sound like it was something huge approaching because of the amplification. Surely it wasn't actually the monster...so she told herself.

She opened her eyes with a frown. She couldn't lie to herself, she knew it was the monster. Fear bubbled up in her like a tide pool, frothing at her heart. _"Zen!"_ She called out into the ocean.

His response was a little garbled but he called back. _"We're almost through! I'm coming."_

Lioj came first, twirling so tightly he looked like he was in pain. Then he leveled and straightened his wings, just barely brushing the sides of her home. Shirayuki had to giggle at his bewildered expression. Zen darted like a minnow underneath the great manta ray and to Shirayuki's side as Lioj lowered himself with a small grunt onto the floor.

 _"What's wrong?"_

Shirayuki opened her gills a few times, pursing her lips. Then she swallowed the lump in her throat and looked out the window. _"I can hear it. The monster's coming."_

Zen followed her gaze and shivered. _"I can't provide much comfort right now. I'm just as scared as you."_ He took a shaky breath and hugged himself. At his request, Shirayuki had tried to find him the tightest shirt possible. But it was an odd request. Nothing in the ocean stayed tight, it was just not the way of things. All the mers clothing was made of a soft moss, woven to hold on to itself. Even if they started out pressed to the mer's skin, eventually the moss would thicken and spread thanks to the salt. It was the weaving that kept it from falling apart all together. Zen didn't like it. He said it made him feel as if he was wearing a "skirt", though Shirayuki wasn't sure what those were.

When Zen continued to talk, Shirayuki snapped her gaze back to his face and tried to hide her blush. _"Sorry, what?"_

Zen blinked at her. _"I said what if it sees the light to the_ Vidre _and comes down to the village?"_

Shirayuki wanted to vomit at the thought. She shook her head. _"We have to hope it's a creature that runs on smell, not sight. The village isn't without it's magic protection. Worst comes to worst we send a few brave men out to throw some red pearls into the air."_

Zen swam over to his bed and sat down, leaning his arms on the window and scanning the ocean. His blue eyes were dark and his forehead creased. _"How many red pearls do you have?"_

Shirayuki wanted to shift but she felt too sore to do more than gently stretch her neck. _"Hopefully enough. Zen, can you carry me downstairs so we can put away the herbs?"_

 _"Oh, right. Sure."_ Zen got up again and swam over to Shirayuki. He scooped her up gently and swam over Lioj. Lioj spun around to face them with a worried sound.

 _"Stay here, Lioj._ " Shirayuki ordered.

Lioj whined but didn't move as Zen lowered them down into her shop. He set her on the countertop, and then went towards the kelp basket.

Shirayuki probably didn't even need to be sitting here to oversee Zen's packing. He had practically mastered the art of twirling the kelp strands around themselves and slipping them into the water-proof tubes Shirayuki used. He could recognize most herbs on sight, occasionally he would ask Shirayuki to make sure he was correct and Shirayuki would say he was. Shirayuki thought he might only ask her so she felt useful.

 _"Can I ask you about the pearls?"_ Zen spoke while he worked.

 _"Yeah. Of course."_

Zen twirled a strand of kelp around his finger before proper spiraling it. _"You used one on me the first time we met, didn't you? It made that chain move."_

Shirayuki winced. _"Yes. That's a simple magic. Most mers know how to use it. It's a simple pearl, it will make any inanimate object move for a short while."_

 _"Really? Does it have like…like a size limit or something?"_ Zen shoved the first three tubes filled with herbs into the pockets on the wall. He pulled out several empty ones in their stead.

 _"Yeah, only so much as the pearl bits can touch can really move."_ Shirayuki shifted when she thought she heard the swoosh of a large fish coming close. _"Zen, it's almost here."_

Zen pursed his lips. _"Why don't we go up with Lioj? Just…just until it passes."_

Shirayuki nodded. Zen darted over to her and once again lifted her into his arms. She listened as Zen swam up. Lioj was staring out the window the best he could, lying on the side of the wall. Zen and Shirayuki moved towards Zen's mattress, leaning together against the wall so they could look outside.

And Shirayuki wished they hadn't.

In the way the ocean was clear today, She was also clouded. And so, when the monster moved slowly out of the gloom, Shirayuki didn't see it coming.

Zen muttered something in English she was pretty sure he could have picked up from the pirates. Her heart jumped like a dead fish stranded on the beaches. She was so scared, her fin actually unraveled for a second before it curled in on itself in pain.

The slight whisper of mers that had been bouncing through the water completely silenced as the monster appeared in front of the pod. Its maw looked even bigger up close, and with horror Shirayuki saw how it had its mouth slightly open. Meaning it was tasting the water: trying to find them. Its whole body bent up to the sky as it looked down at the little crater.

Shirayuki felt her arm be grabbed and jumped. Zen had her bicep in a vice grip, without taking his eyes off the monster. The monster made some horrible rasping noise; it was like the sound of a bunch of bodies rolling down a rock. It snarled at the pod.

Shirayuki covered her mouth with one hand, wanting to move away but finding herself unable to.

The monster snarled once more, then suddenly tossed itself forward. It swam over Shirayuki's home in barely a second. Then there was one more second before a blast of water rushed over the village like its own wave. Shirayuki and Zen ducked, but poor Lioj was sent flying straight backwards into the opposite wall. All around the pod, she heard shouts of shock and dismay as unprepared mers were swept backwards or away.

When the current passed, Lioj let himself sink to the floor, looking up pitifully at Shirayuki and Zen.

"Are you alright, Lioj?" Zen asked.

Lioj dipped its head.

Both Shirayuki and Zen sighed in relief. Then Shirayuki realized uncomfortably that Zen had his arm around her. She glanced at him, and he looked back at her in confusion. Then he noticed where his arm was and ripped it away with a wince. "Sorry." He hissed.

Shirayuki shook her head and poked her head out the window. _"Is the monster gone?"_

"I don't know." Zen sighed, leaning his head against the stone of his wall. "Hopefully."

Shirayuki wanted to believe it, but she wasn't sure.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello my beautiful mers and humans! It has been a while. It's always a while. *sigh*, I'm sorry! Things are hard right now, and I'm struggling through a very huge case of writer's block. But! I want to share this little ditty of a story before I send you into the depths to read this chapter!**

 **Imagine me, a tired college study watching a Netflix show called Myth and Monsters and loving it because I'm a nerd. And at the end of the episode, as they wrap it up with temptation to come and watch more, a random artwork appears. This is of a creature leagues under the surface, looking like something that crawled out of a chemically infected lake. With the head of a fish, and the body of a human. Covered completely in bloody red scales and its limbs ending with webbed hands and feet with sharp claws. The artist has the creature looming over the view, reaching its clawed hand up through the water as if to strike you. Imagine me, seeing that at roughly 2am and experiencing a huge jolt. Imagine me tapping my feet and barely listening to the last sentence of the episode, and as soon as the next episode is about to start exiting the Netflix app and booting up her Microsoft word.**

 **If you can imagine all that, you can come to understand how this chapter was written so fast in two hours with a day of editing afterwards. This is the first thing I've written in months I actually feel proud of (even though it's gory as all heck and a trigger warning needs to be given for blood and...well, gore?). I'm so glad to share with it and I sincerely hope you enjoy this new twist in our never ending plot. Until next time, stay safe and happy, and remember, review!**

* * *

Zen did not sleep fitfully under the sea.

While that was always true, it was especially so the few weeks after the Stalking. That's what the village –er, pod called it. The monster would swim back and forth over the village, never consistently. It was always at random points during the day and the night. Its swooping fins shook the water around them so the buildings felt like they would fall down. Almost all of the _Vidre_ crystals were ether a dark green or bright yellow; full of the fear the mers were feeling.

Zen couldn't fault them. The monster was unlike anything they had ever seen, and it was out to get them. The first time it had passed over, nobody had moved. But believing it to be gone, a small troop of mers went outside the village to scout. Only one returned, with a severed arm. The mers had to put aside their distrust of him and contempt of Shirayuki in order for her to try and save her. Zen had helped the best he could, but his main job had been fetching herbs for Shirayuki and when her arms wouldn't respond, he had to follow her instructions. Needless to say, it had been a stressful day.

There were attempts on what to do to handle the beast, but no plan seemed to be working. It didn't respond to the shark repellent magic pearls that mers and most creatures of the sea hated so much. The pod had sprinkled the dust all around the edge of the pod and over ever building, which made Zen sneeze and put Loji on edge. Shirayuki gave no complaints, but the urge to flee was rampant through every mer's blood while that was in effect. Still, the monster circled almost teasingly over the village. It even made a point to dip down so close the roof of some buildings had been rubbed off.

The next plan was to set up a bunch of shiny jewels and gems over by a massive seaweed net. This was used to catch fish sometimes, as fish were naturally curious of anything shiny enough to catch their eye. The monster paid it no heed. The trap was still sitting out cold, waiting for something heavy enough to lower its head close enough for it to spring.

And the last trick had been something Shirayuki had severely advised against. They released a group of poisonous jellyfish into the open ocean. This created a cloud of electric tendrils and murky jelly above the pod's head. That many jellyfish caused the air to crackle and the scales of each mer's tail to itch madly. And all of it was for nothing, as the monster was so armored it swam through the cloud angrily. It was getting zapped, as referenced by the thousand bolts of light erupting around its body, but the monster pushed through and tossed the jellyfish into the depths of the sea, lost to the currents.

The pod was at a loss to what to do. The monster had them all trapped and fear was running rampant through the small niche they called home. Shirayuki was sharing her home with Kihal, the poor scout that had lost her arm. Kihal was very heavily injured and Shirayuki wanted the guard under her eye until she was sure the scout would be safe from infection. Loji was now more serving as a guard to Kihal than to Shirayuki's service animal.

Shirayuki was perhaps the only bright side to all of this, which seemed almost comical to Zen. Every day she recovered more and more movement, even enough so in the mornings she could almost sit up on her own. She kept a level head and seemed to get along great with Kihal. Zen had never heard her snort from laughing so hard before, and he found the noise absolutely endearing.

Because of the lack of sleep, however, Zen was awake when he heard the shriek pierce the water.

He sat straight up, looking out the window. He expected the monster to make a reemergence, but he saw no such thing nor did he hear it. He looked back at Shirayuki and Kihal's sleeping forms, but they had not stirred.

After a moment of consideration, Zen swam upwards from his bed. He swam out the window and looked around cautiously. He didn't want to swim upwards for an aerial view of the pod in case the monster was around, but instead he swam down to Loji. The streets were empty, but Loji had his tail lifted over his head in a menacing way that kind of reminded Zen of a scorpion.

 _"Lioj."_ Zen whispered.

The manta looked up at Zen.

 _"Did you hear that?"_

Lioj nodded and looked around.

Zen took a deep breath and forced himself to still except for the gentlest fluttering of his fin to keep him afloat. He closed his eyes and listened. Where was the water moving? This was a trick he had slowly begun to learn somehow. He wasn't sure what it meant or if it was something all mers experienced, or even if it had developed in response to the constant fear of hearing the monster come by. Whichever way, he saw no reason not use it right now.

There was the constant, never too far away swish of the monster's fins as it circled. It must have been miles away, but the monster was always nearby. Zen shivered and tried to focus in to the pod. There was a few swishes of a tail where the nearby mer couldn't sleep and were up and moving around their house. There was the brief movement when a mer would twitch in their sleep. The scream had only seemed to disturbed him. And there, there was a desperate, crazed clawing of the water. The water went in all directions; no creature who was trying to swim was that uncoordinated. This was mad flailing.

Zen opened his eyes. He swam back into the house quietly, stealing the small dagger that Shirayuki had first threatened him with when they had first met just in case. Hopefully she would forgive him for opening her purse, but he thought he needed some kind of protection.

Lioj looked at him, and then lifted off the ground with a gentle twitch of his wings.

 _"No, you should stay and protect Shirayuki."_

Lioj just looked at Zen. When Zen tried to move away, Lioj followed.

Zen looked up worryingly at Shirayuki's home, then decided he didn't have time to argue. _"Fine, but let's be quick."_ With that, Zen flicked his tail and shot off towards the sound. He stayed low, gaining momentum by swinging himself around homes and small formations in the rock.

He had to say if he had to list the pros of being a merman, night vision was definitely one of them. He could see almost everything, just in black in white. The occasional splash of color when a _Vidre_ glowed. He passed over one, and it turned from a relaxed blue to a tightened yellow from his worry. Zen had become excellent at using his tail to the full extent, swinging it left and right and spreading his fin when necessary.

It was because of this that the Prince of Wisteria managed a complete and total halt when he rounded a corner.

It was a horrible, horrible sight. Lioj swam underneath Zen and audibly gasped; which was something Zen did not know manta rays could do.

The water was clouded with what Zen could obviously tell was blood. The cloud curled up and around in a horrible billow, the current lifting it to the open sea. The mer it came from was frozen with her mouth open, her eyes wide and glazed. Her head was tilted back and her throat had been ripped out, bits of her esophagus lifting upwards in the blood cloud. Her skin was uneven and ragged around the hole. Her tail was curled backwards, the fin untouched but where it met her stomach was more tears in her skin.

And the creature that had caused the damage was still there. It had been the crazed motions of the creature ripping the flesh from her body that Zen had felt. The monster was almost as horrifying as the one currently causing the Stalking. As it paused in its molestation and destruction, it leaned its head forward through the blood to see Zen.

The face was one of a fish. With the wide, pure black eyes and the lipless, circular mouth, the lower lip opening and closing as if it was sucking in the blood. But at the head was where the similarities to the fish ended. It had two arms, and two legs. Its feet had three huge toes stretching down and connected by webs, with wicked nails looking more like talons at the end of each. Its hands were like a more horrible version of Zen's; scaly and connected by webbing with those talon like nails as well. It was small, smaller than Zen. Maybe about the size of a monkey. It had extra fins all around its body, on its forearms, its back, its thighs and the sides of its head. Zen could clearly see the huge gills looking like jagged cuts just in front of the fins.

The monster paused when it stared at Zen, then pulled its lips in. It opened them again to something different; somehow it had flicked its mouth into a maniac grin with the teeth of a shark, blood stains included.

 _"What are you?!"_ Zen demanded, holding Shirayuki's knife at the ready. He remembered his underwater lessons from Sanjay, one of the mers willing to talk to Shirayuki and him and desperately wished he had more.

The creature pulled itself over the poor mer's body. As it moved closer towards Zen, it landed its back legs on the mers body. It scrabbled desperately, adding to the plumage of blood and tearing so much into the mer Zen thought he might be sick.

Then it jumped down and touched the ground, meeting Lioj's eyes. It kept its maniac grin as it tilted its head left and right.

For Lioj's part, the manta barely flinched. Zen heard his tail sweeping through the water menacingly.

Zen's tail fluttered nervously and he leveled himself out onto his stomach. This was a good way to start a fight, as most sea creatures usually looked at this as a sign that they were about to charge. But Zen wouldn't mind killing the creature.

Suddenly, the creature pressed its talons into the mer above it. It pushed her upwards, through the blood and into the open ocean.

Zen heard the monster coming before he saw it.

It rumbled the entire pod as it swum so low and so fast. Zen ducked in instinct. His hair all parted over to one side of his head and he was thrown into another building. Lioj was thrown on top of him and the Prince huffed, his gills flaring. When he looked up, the monster was gone again. So was the body of the destroyed mer.

Lioj moved off Zen and Zen swam back into the middle of the isle, shocked and shaken.

Zen looked down at the creature, who looked to be doing something along the lines of giggling, holding its hands over its disgusting mouth and shaking. "You're feeding it mers." Zen realized with horror.

Lioj growled and flicked his tail up, and Zen snapped to attention just as the creature lunged for him.

It grabbed onto his arm, digging in its claws. Zen's blood rolled up into the water, and Zen gasped in pain. He swam down and slammed the creature into the ground as hard as he could. The creature's eyes rolled, and Zen wasted no time in grabbing the dagger with his free hand, and stabbing the creature in the chest. The creature gurgled and flailed wildly, but Zen had him pinned to the ground. The creature made a mess of his arm, ripping at his flesh in a wild and desperate attempt to get Zen back.

Zen gritted his teeth against the searing pain, and realized his mistake. He cursed his human instincts as he ripped the dagger free, causing the monster to scream and once again dig into his arm. He felt his flesh get torn and had to let go of the creature with a huge gasp and an amount of cursing he was sure the sailors would have been proud of him for. The creature lunged for him, and Zen swiftly swam in a sharp circle. He dodged the creature's mad lunging and slashed with his knife, cutting cleanly through the gills on the monsters head.

The monster sagged and began to float upwards through the water, dead.

Zen looked at Lioj, who swam up to him and fluttered his wings in concern. "I know." Zen groaned. He looked down at his arm. He could still move his fingers and wrist, but it burned like someone had poured lava into his bones. Plumes of blood were floating away with his ruined skin like smoke from a tea kettle. _"Lioj, get that thing's body. No one will believe me otherwise."_

Lioj turned to the monster, which had already floated up over the entire village. As Lioj started to flick his wings, the water shifted again and Zen was thrown into another wall.

The monster swam past again, and Zen let out both a cry of agony and frustration, as his arm didn't like being pulled on and he knew that when he looked up, the body would be gone.

* * *

 _"Let me get this straight."_ Kihal said, watching as Shirayuki wrapped Zen's arm in seaweed bandages. They were working by the light of a multicolored _Vidre._ It was pink and red near Zen and Shirayuki, with taints of yellow rushing through the surface like coloring, and green near Kihal. Kihal was sitting on an opposite counter, her tail flicking to keep her balance. With a huge chunk of her body taken from her, she was still adjusting. _"Not only is there the Stalking, there was a small creature who ripped a mer bloody and then gave it to the monster to eat?"_

 _"Yes."_ Zen winced as Shirayuki pulled tight over a particularly tender spot, pressing the ointment into his flesh.

 _"And you killed it, but then the monster ate it again? Which is why we all felt it come over the pod twice?"_ Kihal continued.

 _"Yes, Kihal. Do you think I'm lying? Why on Earth would I make up a story like that?"_

Kihal thought. _"I don't think your lying. I think that this is too much for it to be real."_

Shirayuki stiffened and stopped for a moment.

Zen held her shoulder with his good arm. "Are you alright?"

 _"It's tightening on me, give me a moment."_ Shirayuki murmured, shaking her head.

 _"Shirayuki, let me help."_ Kihal got up, but Shirayuki shook her head more firmly.

 _"Kihal, thank you, but I can do this."_ Shirayuki took a deep breath, and continued to wrap. Her motions were a little slower this time however. _"As for your story Zen, I've never seen cuts like these before. It's like you rubbed yourself on the teeth of a shark, which I know you're just barely smart enough to avoid doing."_

Kihal snorted into her hand.

 _"Hey."_ Zen said with warning, but he smiled at the joke none the less. He appreciated some light hearted-ness after what he had just witnessed.

Shirauyki smiled at him a little wearily.

Zen stared at her eyes, smiling back.

Shirayuki then blinked, and turned back to wrapping his arm. She finished off the wrap and pushed herself upwards. _"Kihal, can you pass me one of the slings?"_

Kihal moved and handed her the sling.

Shirayuki lifted her hands up and Zen willingly dipped his head through the sling. It was made out of the same material most of the mers clothing was from and settled comfortably on the back of his neck. Shirayuki gently guided his now almost immobile arm into the sling. Once it was in, she nearly fell over trying to back away.

Kihal caught her, flicking her tail desperately to keep them both afloat. Zen jumped off the table and held Shirayuki up on the other side with his good arm.

Shirayuki snorted. _"I find it a little ridiculous that neither of you have both of your arms now, and I can barely move mine."_

They all laughed a little, though it was muted.

 _"We need to tell the pod about the little creature. I don't know who was killed tonight, but-"_

 _"I'll come too."_ Kihal offered.

Shirayuki shook her head. _"Kihal, you can't be moving much. A trip to the Elder would not be good for you. Please, stay here and rest."_

Kihal absolutely pouted, sticking her lower lip out. _"But I-"_

 _"Will be better for it if you listen to your doctor."_ Shirayuki finished. She turned and whistled, and Lioj poked his head through the door. " _Lioj, take me and Zen to the elders. Kihal, stay."_

Kihal huffed and let Shirayuki go, pushing her weight onto Zen so much so that Shirayuki ended up with her head not an inch from his. Zen felt his heartbeat skip, but he pushed it away and pulled Shirayuki around the table in the kitchen and to the front door, awkwardly putting her on top of Lioj so she could scoot into her position on his back.

 _"We'll see you later. Kihal, please stay inside tonight."_ Zen asked the hurt scout.

Kihal, still pouting, nodded. _"May the Sea go with you."_

Zen smiled and swam around to sit next to Shirayuki. Lioj closed the door with his flipper and took off quickly down to the Elder Building.

* * *

The Elder was of course sleeping, and he was not pleased to be awoken so suddenly.

Shirayuki and Zen sat on their tails, fins resting flat on the stone behind them. The Elder Building was a small, temple looking cave carved into the bedrock around the pod. During some of the scarier moments of the Stalking, the young and the older mers were told to stay in here. It had ancient looking columns carved with depictions of the mers history. Basic things, Shirayuki told Zen, but the discovery of magic underwater didn't seem basic to Zen.

There was one hieroglyph that made Zen wince however. Crudely carved mers being tossed into the sea from humans wielding weapons and fire. Zen could guess as to what that was, but he had to remind himself it wasn't his fault. _He_ didn't cause the banishment of the mers to the sea or the raze of Atlantis.

 _But your Kingdom did._ A voice nagged at him.

Zen shook his head to clear it.

 _"Are you alright?"_ Shirayuki asked him. The room was silent while the two guards went to wake the Elder. _"Is your arm hurting?"_

His arm did hurt, but he shook his head. _"Nothing, don't worry."_

The Elder swam out then. He was a frail looking merman. His tail was turned almost completely silver and he had a beard going nearly down to his stomach. His head was bald and his eyes were wide and glassy. He blinked a few times at Shirayuki and Zen as he swam to his chair in the middle of the room. _"I hope this a proper emergency."_ He muttered, his voice ringing low across the room.

Zen had met the Elder once before, upon his first arrival into the pod. Shirayuki had introduced him and told him almost everything, except for the fact that Zen was the Prince of Clarines. Instead, they said he was human now turned mer by order of the Sea. The Elder didn't question that anymore. From Zen's impressions, the Elder didn't seem phased by anything so long as it didn't put the pod in danger. So, Zen wasn't sure the Elder knew what to think of him. Which made this conversation very hard. _"It is, Elder."_ Zen assured.

The Elder settled into his chair with a face of mild discomfort. Zen felt bad for having to had wake him from his slumber. _"Oh? Then do tell."_

Lioj had to wait outside, and Zen could tell Shirayuki was having trouble keeping her fin flat against the ground as she spoke. _"Did you hear the monster sweep over the pod twice just now?"_

 _"I was sleeping, and the currents do not affect me in my chamber. Was anyone hurt?"_ This had the Elder's attention, at least.

Zen broke in. _"Unfortunately yes, Elder. One mer was killed. I cannot say I recognized her."_ He paused, expecting the Elder to want more from him right here. But the Elder remained stoic, so Zen pressed on. _"I heard her shriek, and went to see with Lioj what it was. What I found…_ " Zen described the scene he walked into, and how the little creature had fed the monster the mer's body. How it had injured his arm, and how the monster ate its body.

 _"Do you believe him, Elder?"_ Shirayuki prodded. The Elder had sat in silence for a moment too long after Zen's story to make the Prince think that the Elder had bought his story.

The Elder took a deep, rattling breath through his gills. _"I have heard legends of the monsters that used to haunt the oceans. When I was a young boy, my grandmother told them to me. Your story brings up an old memory of a myth."_ He held his hands together on top of his tail. _"You are describing a Xerturt."_

Zen wasn't sure he heard the name right. _"Xer-Ker-Xerturt?"_ He tried.

Shirayuki nodded at him and wrung her hands. _"I haven't heard of these Xerturts ether, Elder."_

The Elder groaned slightly. _"I believed them only to be a myth."_ He took another deep breath. _"Xerturts are vicious creatures that serve the mighty in order to survive. There is always more than one around, and if they are helping this monster then may the Sea help us."_

Shirayuki and Zen exchanged a glance. _"There are always more?"_

The Elder met their gaze with a deadly serious gaze that made even Zen shiver. The Elder must have been a terrifying warrior in his youth. _"Always."_


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello! Guess who procrastinated enough homework to work this chapter out? I DID! Muahahahahahahahahaha MY GPA IS DROPPING MUWAHAHAHAHAHA. Sorry, lol. It really is dropping but it's not because of this. Anyways, things heat up again in this chapter. It's a little bit long, and it's definitely taken a while to write. I hope you enjoy it, happy spring! Remember, review!**

* * *

"I'm going out again tonight." Zen said over his measly dinner.

Shirayuki let her krill go in disbelief. It floated lifelessly in the water. She stared at the Prince of Wisteria in shock. "Again?" She asked in English.

Zen avoided her eyes. The blue in his irises had gone from azure to stormy, with bags underneath them. "Yes."

Every day since the first attack of the Xerturts, mers had to go outside and defend their homes and themselves against the vile creatures. Still, no matter how many they seemed to kill, the Xerturts just kept coming. Shirayuki had to give up the bottom floor of her home for all the wounds she patched up from the Xerturts. They clawed away at every mer they could, regardless of who it was. They went after anyone who was alone. Since recently the mers had always been in groups, they had been getting braver. They struck at the young ones, the sea creatures mers kept as pets and companions, and worst of all: the men ready to defend them. They worked so well with the monster that swept back and forth over the village, so much so that a few buildings had been knocked over just from the force of the monsters might as it swept by.

"Zen, you've gone out every night. Let someone else take over." Shirayuki sighed.

The Prince seemed desperate to help the pod in any way he could. He had barely slept the last few days, and was never without the sword he had been given by the Elder to fight off the Xerturts. Even now, it floated in the water in his arms reach just behind him. "There just aren't enough mers, Shirayuki." He responded numbly.

Loji made a small sighing noise from underneath them. The manta ray had been unable to leave the top room for a while, and since he couldn't leave the room, neither could Shirayuki. Not that he really needed to. Shirayuki had managed to move her tail enough to propel her downstairs where she could treat those who had been injured. _Almost_ full recovery of her arms meant she wasn't able to work with all the vigor as she usually took her work, but it was enough that she could instruct other who could move to help. This included Kihal, who was learning how to navigate life without her left arm.

"You're going to just end up hurt at this rate." Shirayuki insisted. She grabbed her krill and shoved it in her mouth angrily. Food was running low in the pod. They couldn't leave their home to go hunting so long as that monster was around. This also meant Shirayuki was almost out of seaweed to wrap. She was getting desperate, as most of the wounds the Xerturts left were flesh wounds.

"We're a prime target for the Xerturts." Zen persisted. "They target this building every night because of all the hurt."

"I'm very aware of that." Shirayuki's fin twitched and she winced. "But you swimming until your scales fall off won't help."

Zen opened his mouth, when Kihal slammed her tail on the ground. _"Enough of your weird secret language!"_

Both Shirayuki and Zen closed their mouths and leaned back. Zen stuffed his mouth with krill.

Kihal took a deep breath. _"I'm going to assume you were fighting over whether or not Zen goes out tonight."_

 _"It doesn't matter. I'm going."_ Zen lifted off the ground as he spoke, looking out the window.

Far away, Shirayuki heard the swish of the monster as it came for another sweep of the pod. She tried to lift off the ground as well, but she couldn't sustain herself and sank back down. To make matters worse, Zen swam over to her and grabbed her elbows, gently lifting her. She gripped his forearms tightly, feeling how taught his muscles were. She glared into his eyes. She didn't think she would miss any shade of blue; living in the sea meant that blue was the all-encompassing color. But the dimmed color in Zen's eyes made her sad. _"Zen, you can't do this. You don't have their kind of energy right now. Stay and help me heal those who have already been hurt."_

 _"Tonight's my last night I'm going, I promise."_ Zen tried to reason.

Kihal tensed. _"Here it comes."_

Sure enough, the house shook and the _Vidre_ turned to a scared yellow lighting. Shirayuki winced and saw Kihal lean into Loji with clenched teeth. She worried for her the most, as she was petty sure Kihal had some PTSD from the battle with the monster. But as she was looking, she suddenly realized Zen had wrapped his arms around her.

She blinked and whispered into the water; "Zen?"

"Just one more night." He whispered back. "I promise." He let her go as the shaking stopped.

* * *

Shirayuki looked out apprehensively as Zen donned his sword and swam outside into the dark water. As soon as he was outside and out of sight, she took a deep breath. The patient she was working on looked at her. _"Something wrong?"_

She blinked at him. _"Nothing you need to worry about now. Do you think you can help Kihal wrap some bandages for me again tonight? Your wound is healing well."_

 _"Of course. I'll help in whatever way I can."_ He nodded.

 _"Thank you."_ Once he swam off, Shirayuki managed to rise. Her movements were stiff and far from graceful, but she relied on the water the best she could to swim upstairs. She landed on the ground by the small hole with a small grunt and found Lioj ready for her with her purse. _"Oh, thank you Lioj. You're a lifesaver."_ She grabbed it from his mouth and he slipped under her, lifting her into a sitting position by fanning the water around her, then giving her something to support her back on. She reached in and grabbed the clam holding her magic pearls.

She opened the clam and looked through her pearls. She had three white ones, two red, three yellow, and one black. She grabbed a white one and closed her clam, letting it sink slowly through the water. Then she grabbed her knife and took a deep breath. She hadn't been able to cast a proper magic spell since her electrocution, but she had to try.

Lioj moaned at her warningly.

 _"I'm not letting him kill himself just so he can be a hero."_ Shirayuki hissed. She took a few more deep breaths, then crushed the pearl in her fist. She felt the magic tingle at her fingers, caressing against her skin as if it was trying to get out. _To me, please. I need help. Zen needs help._ She thought desperately.

The magic stilled, and she took her chance. She tossed the dagger into the water and opened her fist, letting the magic dust swirl around. It glowed faintly and cast a shadow on Lioj's face. She took a deep breath, and blew the dust towards the dagger. _"Defend this place from the Xerturts, and defend Zen from them as well._ " She hadn't had to actually speak her order to white pearls in the longest time, and yet here she was.

The dust swirled around the dagger, disappearing into it. For a moment, it didn't seem like anything else was going to happen, when the dagger suddenly twirled by itself. With précises movements it charged out the window and into the dark of night with barely a sound.

Shirayuki grinned to herself, then suddenly felt very faint. She looked at Lioj worriedly. _"I need to get back to my bed."_

Lioj wrapped his fin around her and flew towards one of the seaweed beds she had made. She only realized when he set her down that she was in Zen's mattress, but she didn't have time to correct Lioj before the exhaustion grabbed her like the jaws of that monster. The magic spell took so much out of her she didn't have to give, but still she fought desperately against the sleep spell her body was forcing over her. She hated sleeping at night, when fights against the Xerturts happened just outside her window. They couldn't get in, the house enchantments made sure of that, however that wouldn't protect Zen.

And could one dagger really do that much damage?

Lioj, sensing her anxiety, gently slid up the bed until he had a wing over her like a blanket. He kept his head perked up, and Shirayuki felt she could rest easier knowing he was there.

Her body grabbed her consciousness and yanked her into darkness.

* * *

In her dream, her head broke a still surface into air. She could see her breath, which was something new. But it rolled out of her mouth as steam, slipping straight into the air only to disappear a just a little bit away. She looked around. She was swimming in cold water and she could see Above Surface a little bit away. The land was covered in ice and completely white. Shirayuki had to stare at it for a while, trying to think what it was. Then she remembered: snow. She had only heard rumors of it from travelers from the North and South.

"Shirayuki." A voice said. Shirayuki turned and found herself staring at a snow covered iceberg floating by. On the iceberg was a beautiful mermaid. Her tail was a million colors, all laced with gold. Her skin was dark and her hair flowed out in beautiful ringlets down into the sea, covering the ice chunk. Her hair was the color of the waves at sunset. White and orange and overall blue, yet somehow managing to match. She had a beautiful moonstone on her forehead and was bare besides jewelry around her wrists and around her neck.

"Hello?" Shirayuki responded unsure. She moved a little closer, and with a jolt realized she could move freely again. "Oh my goodness." She sighed in relief. Happily, she ducked her head under the cold water and pushed herself up and completely out of the water, curling and diving back into the sea like a dolphin. She laughed as the bubbles tickled her skin, then swam up again and spun like a seal.

"I am sorry I couldn't stop the eels in time." The woman said, interrupting Shirayuki's twirl of joy.

"O-Oh." Shirayuki shook herself from her high. She looked at the mermaid again. "Who are you?"

The mermaid smiled and opened her palms. "I am the Sea. This was my domain thousands of years ago."

Shirayuki looked around again. While beautiful, it was pristine and dead. Everywhere was cold and harsh, and the sky seemed like a cruel mockery to the white and blue world. Nothing moved, and even the water Shirayuki had displaced stopped quickly. Shirayuki could feel no currents pushing against her scales, and even when she reached with her senses; the closest current was leagues below her. "Oh." She said again, not sure how to respond. "Am I dreaming?"

The Sea shrugged, causing a ripple to run through her hair. "I suppose so."

"Then…why am I here?" Shirayuki looked up at the mermaid.

"Because I have to explain myself to you." The Sea took a deep breath. "We do not have much time. Your mind needs to rest just like your body after using magic like that."

Shirayuki felt the urge to defend herself, but she swallowed her words and waited.

The Sea looked out over the landscape. "It has been many centuries since I've see this place."

"Do you miss it?" Shirayuki asked, wondering how she could miss such a cold world.

The Sea hesitated. "Sometimes. But times are changing, and if I am ever to change with it, I need your help."

Shirayuki had asked Zen to explain his meeting with the Sea at least two times. She was still having a hard time believing it. But now, as she spoke with the Sea as well, it seemed more realistic. "Zen said you needed both of us." Shirayuki managed. "And…And he said you're making me human." Shirayuki wanted to cry suddenly. Just the thought was so awful to her…how would she live? Oxygen was toxicity, feet were disgusting, and humans themselves were horrible.

The Sea closed her eyes and bit her lip, looking like she wanted to cry as well. "If only there was another fate, my dear child. But understand that if you or Zen were separated by species once more you both would suffer from the sickness again."

Shirayuki groaned and let herself sink under the flat surface. "I can't do this."

"Shirayuki, you will return to me."

Shirayuki popped her head back out of the water and angrily flicked her hair away from her face. "I don't want to have to leave in the first place." She snapped.

"Nor do I want you to go." The Sea took a deep breath. "When you are fully healed, Obi will take you and the Prince to the Tides. He will give you further instructions there. I am sorry, Shirayuki."

Shirayuki had nothing to say to that. Well, actually she did. But they mostly consisted of arguments and swimming to the bottom of the ocean to hide. But instead, she floated there in silence until the Sea spoke again.

"I understand you are being hunted." The Sea's voice lost all Her sympathy and instead turned hard like the stones She shaped with her waves. "I have sent you my Sharkmen, but they will not arrive until tomorrow. And I fear tonight is the night where my Liopleurodon will lose it's patience."

"You're what?" Shirayuki asked. She had gotten very hopeful when the Sea began talking, but as she continued her heart dropped into her stomach with fear.

"Liopleurodon. It is the massive creature that is eating your pod." The Sea sighed. "How I have forgotten their power. They have the ability to resist me, to stop my magic and override my control over them. I cannot touch them from afar." The Sea raised her hand and began to curl her fingers. She grimaced, her face turning hard and stony. Shirayuki felt a shiver of fear crawl up her spine, the Sea's eyes were suddenly black and inky. Half way into making a fist, her fingers stopped. The Sea struggled, clenching her teeth. Her lips opened in a snarl, showing how her teeth changed from gleaming white and perfect to the teeth of a shark. Her hair darkened as well, changing from the beauty of a wave at sunset to a deep gray.

Shirayuki found her tail propelling her backwards and away from the terrifying sight, when all of a sudden the Sea gave up on her fist. With a gasp or a sigh, she straightened her fingers and relaxed her body. Her teeth changed back, her eyes were back to the kaleidoscope of cool colors. Her hair was back to the color of a wave. "Even now, it resists." The Sea looked at Shirayuki. "I have frightened you, I am sorry."

Shirayuki shook her head. "What about those horrible things? The Xerturts?"

"Another set of creatures that I failed. They breed so fast, and they only search for blood. I didn't even realize they were freed."

"Who is freeing them?" Shirayuki asked.

The Sea sighed. "I keep my failed attempts in only the darkest, coldest parts of myself. They live in places like this, the last remnants of my original world. They are not able to survive in the warmth. However, a magic I've never seen before has cursed them and made them able to adapt. I do not know who cast these spells. I cannot see them. The magic must have come from the land."

Shirayuki pursed her lips. "Maybe Zen will have some ideas. I've never heard of magic on land from him before." _But then again, I don't know all that much,_ Shirayuki thought to herself.

The Sea shook her head sadly. "Our time runs short. Listen to me. I need to protect you on land. I find no better way to do this than to give you the _Aigua._ Use it wisely."

The Sea's voice warbled and Shirayuki blinked, not sure if she had heard that last sentence correctly. The Sea continued before she could ask, however. "I said this to Zen, and I will say it to you." She jumped off the rock, her hair flying gracefully in the wind. Shirayuki expected her to splash into the water, but instead she stayed suspended in mid air. Her hands grasped Shirayuki's cheeks gently and she pressed her forehead against Shirayuki's. "Do not let the past control the future." She kissed Shirayuki on the nose, and Shirayuki felt her body freeze as if she was being electrocuted again. Her eyes closed and she completely blacked out, falling into absolute nothingness.

* * *

Zen was tense, waiting with his hands wrapped around the hilt of the sword. The four other mers he was on guard with tonight all stood at attention. Zen was hovering just in front of the doorway, his senses extended to feel any motion in the water.

As always, the far away but consistent swooping of the monster as it circled – never far away. There was the motion in the building, Zen had gotten so used to every mer put in the small building he could pick out Kihal's motions just with a single motion from her. Same with Shirayuki, but it seemed like she was sleeping at the moment. Good. She needed her rest.

So did Zen, but he couldn't fall asleep without having that nightmare.

The nightmare plagued him every single night, from the moment he fell asleep to the moment he woke up with a jolt in bed, gasping and choking on water as he tried to breathe through his mouth. He would fall back asleep, and again the nightmare would plague him.

Zen shuddered just thinking about it.

In his nightmare, he opened his eyes in the middle of a fall from the plank of a ship. He would sink miles below the surface, completely human and with the pressure building between his eyes. He'd turn and find himself face to face with the monster. It wouldn't move, it would just stare at him with strangely human eyes.

 **"YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE."** It would say, booming and so loud that Zen's heartbeat stuttered in his chest. **"IF THE OCEAN WILL NOT BE YOUR GRAVE, THEN THE LAND WILL BE. CLARINES WILL SINK LIKE ATLANTIS DID, BUT THERE WILL BE NOWHERE FOR YOU TO RUN TO."**

Zen would try to respond, but his mouth would inhale water. His lungs would fill and he would wake up as the monster opened its jaws and swallowed him whole.

Zen shuddered and shook his head. He ran his hands through his course hair and stretched. He listened again. Still nothing unusual.

Then someone shouted out. _"Over here!"_

Zen swam up to the top of the building and looked to where a merman pointed with his sword.

 _"I sense a whole lot of them coming that way."_ The merman said.

Zen readied his weapon alongside his companions for the night. As always, he felt frustration at how good they were with their weapons under the sea. He felt like a fish out of water, and he had to keep stopping himself for going for a slash, changing it last second to a stabbing motion as he had been taught.

The Xerturst came into his sensory radar. He stiffened. _"There's so many."_

 _"This will not be easy."_ Another mer agreed.

Zen tested his muscles. He was pushing himself already, he wasn't sure he could handle all the Xerturts coming right now. But he couldn't back down. He steadied his breathing and mentally prepped himself for battle.

That's when he sensed something else. _"Oh no."_ He hissed. He turned around and sure enough, when he extended his palm, he felt more. _"There's another whole group heading over this way. We need more mers."_

The mers split up, him and a girl on one side, the other duo facing the original threat. Zen could see by the twitches in their tails no one thought this was a battle they could win. _"There are no other mers._ " His partner muttered.

Zen cursed. He braced himself.

Sure enough, the Xerturts swam at them. There were at least twenty on each group, and they flanked the building. Xerturts weren't silent, but their war cries were unnervingly soft. They gurgled and groaned, sounding like a chorus of tortured souls. They swam like frogs, which propelled them in odd synchronicity.

So of course, Zen's body failed him at that moment.

Zen felt something like an electric zap grab him by the spine. He yelped and straightened, his sword dropping out of his hands. His fin froze, and he dropped like a stone.

 _"Zen!"_ His partners shouted. They turned away and knelt near him, touching his shoulders. His partner grabbed his face and made him look at her, but he couldn't feel her touch. His breath became ragged.

 **THE LAND WILL BE YOUR GRAVE.**

Zen whimpered as the voice from his dreams echoed in his head, his fingers twitching.

 _"They're coming. Leave him!"_

His partner pursed her lips then rose, taking his sword from the water and holding them both, a determined look in her eyes.

 _CHOOSE._

Zen flinched again. This voice was not from the monster, it sounded like the Sea's.

 _TAKE UP MY SHIELD._

Zen's body jerked again, but nothing else happened.

The Xerturts descended upon them, several diving straight for Zen.

Zen's gills flared in such panic it hurt.

Suddenly, just as one was about to grab him by the throat, a knife appeared out of nowhere. It stabbed itself into the creature's gills, then pulled itself free. Blood clotted the water as the Xerturt drifted downwards, immediately killed.

 _"What in the name of the Sea is_ that _?!"_ One of Zen's partners yelled. Then the real battle begin. Zen heard the squeal of Xerturts, heard the grunts of his companions as they defended the building. But his eyes stayed locked on the knife, which twirled itself through the air before slicing through the oncoming Xeturts. It slashed, stabbed, and moved as if an invisible mer was wielding it with the mastery of years of training. As if the heaviness of the water didn't matter.

It never left Zen's side, so when there was a brief lapse in the attack of Xerturts, Zen looked at the handle and realized with another jolt through his body that this was Shirayuki's knife. She must have enchanted it.

A smile curled up at his lips, then he winced and rolled over in pain – nearly onto a Xerturt.

 _TAKE IT!_

Zen's eyes flew open and glowed a sharp, sky blue.

* * *

Shirayuki's eyes flew open and glowed a spiky, hard green.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello all! I hope you've all been well. I have one week of this horribleness of a semester left and then I can go home and go swimming and hopefully write more fun shiz instead of essays. I had such high hopes for this chapter but I just don't think it came out as I pictured it being. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy this. I hope you have a good few weeks and I'll see you guys soon! Remember, Review!**

* * *

Zen sat up slowly. The water around him swirled, tugging on his hair. All around him, the Xerturts screamed in battle. His comrades struggled desperately to defend themselves and their home, and far away there was the ominous approach of the monster. Zen took a deep breath, then rose. He lifted just a few inches from the ground, then spread his arms.

The three other mers fighting felt a gentle push on their backs, nothing they couldn't brace themselves against. But the Xerturts were blasted backwards. The few who had time to fight the current could only stay still for less than a second before being overpowered. They were blasted straight back until they were out of the pod's home entirely.

The three mers, gasping and bleeding from multiple wounds, turned to see Zen.

Zen looked down at them, blinking in confusion. He raised his arms, and stared at the extra fins he had grown from his forearms. His tail lashed the water, just a little longer and a little more powerful. His eyes still glowed, and he could see the light reflecting on his forearm fins.

 _"Zen…what happened to you?"_ Said his one partner, dropping her sword in shock.

Zen tried to speak, but suddenly he felt a rumble in the water. He turned around and saw the monster, slowly approaching the village. Expecting an easy meal, as per usual thanks to the Xerturts. When he snapped up some of the unconscious Xerturts instead, he narrowed his eyes on Zen, who was a glowing beacon – floating up over the top of a rather tall building. The monster could smell the mers inside.

Zen's gills flared, and he looked at his bloody companions. _"Get inside."_ He ordered, his voice sounding different to him.

The mers hesitated, then gathered their weapons and swam down to Shirayuki's shop. The enchanted dagger flew to Zen's side. Zen studied it. Somehow he was able to see the white light covering all around it. Zen could _see_ the magic holding the knife at the ready.

The monster rumbled, and Zen turned. He remembered his nightmares, but didn't shake. He knew what he had to do. Zen swam straight up, high above the pod. Just a mile away from the surface. His tail stroked the water, sending him flying into the air with more power than he had been expecting. The knife following at his side.

The monster followed them with its glassy gaze. Then it bunched its muscles up and sprung. It opened its maw impossibly wide, fully intending to swallow Zen whole.

Zen braced himself, when a green blur lunged out of Shirayuki's windows. Zen blinked, so he missed the travel to the bottom of the monster's impossibly wide jaw. The green blur slammed into the monster so hard its mouth was forced closed and its head pushed back.

Shirayuki spun up and out of the monsters reach. Her fin had elongated like Zen's, and her arms had sprouted green fins. Her hair was like a scarlet flame, and her gold eyes glowed so bright they were like spotlights.

Zen was speechless, she was so beautiful.

As the monster groaned and did a slow flip to right itself, Shirayuki swam up to Zen's side. _"You look different."_

 _"So do you."_ Zen managed.

Shirayuki flexed her fists, curling her tail up. _"I'm not sure what happened. I feel so strong."_

Zen remembered the voice that had held him captive. _"The Sea gave us her shield."_

Shirayuki stared at the fins on her forearms. " _The Aigua?"_

 _"I suppose so."_ Zen snapped to attention as the monster righted itself and grumbled at the two mers. The only mers to ever have given him a fight.

Shirayuki flicked out the backs of her hands tentatively.

The monster was flung backwards by a current so strong it might as well have been a wall. Its body shook with its resistance, but when the wall faded, the monster looked up at the two mers with a murderous gleam in its eyes.

Zen whistled, which sounded nothing like it should underwater and made Shirayuki jump. _"That's amazing."_

 _"You can try next."_ Shirayuki offered as the monster swam towards them.

Zen flung his hands upwards, and the monster was thrust literally out of the sea with the push from its underbelly. _"Whoa!"_ The thunder of it breaking the surface was so loud it felt as if it shook the water.

Shirayuki smiled and looked at Zen excitedly. _"Shall we?"_

Zen smiled back. _"We shall."_

The two mers darted towards the surface as the monster fell back into the sea. Zen lunged first, slamming his fist into the side of the monster's head.

Shirayuki grabbed it by its tiny tail and swung it around and around, slowly beginning a whirlpool. Zen caught on to the idea and raised his hands to the surface. The water plunged downwards, the point of spinning water so sharp it looked like it could pierce skin. Instead, it went straight through the monster and Shirayuki, swallowing them up.

After a second, Shirayuki exploded from the whirlpool. She rolled like she was doing a somersault, landing next to Zen. She smiled at him. _"Well done."_ She flicked her hand and her enchanted dagger flew towards her. She caught the hilt, studying it. _"Where should I aim?"_

Zen, who was focused on keeping the whirlpool going fast enough the monster couldn't break free, thought. _"It's gills, I would assume."_

Shirayuki nodded. She pulled the knife close to her mouth and whispered. _"To the gills."_ Then she lifted the knife backwards in one hand. She steadied it, then tossed it through the water. As it sailed towards the whirlpool, she also thrust out her palm towards it. The knife charged forward with the extra push of the water, straight into the currents.

There was just the roar of the whirlpool. But the knife suddenly returned to Shirayuki, trailing ribbons of red blood. It shook itself clean, and Shirayuki scooped it out of the water.

Zen lowered his hands.

The whirlpool slowed, and the body of the creature was freed. Its head hung limply, its gills cut up and leaking trails of red blood.

Shirayuki and Zen looked at each other, in shock at what they had managed to do. Shirayuki began to grin, but then they both felt the maniac clawing's of the Xerturts disrupting the water, signaling that they were coming towards them. Shirayuki didn't hesitate. She grabbed the dagger and dropped down, slamming into the thick of the Xerturts, slashing and literally ripping them apart. The water acted like a shield around her, not even their blood could touch her.

Zen jerked, realizing he should help. He swam down as well, and grabbed two of the closest Xerturts. He smashed them together – like, _smashed_ them. Their bones cracked under his hands and against each other. He grabbed another one and slammed it into the roof of a house, spinning around as the water around his tail felt the approach of the other Xerturts. He tail-slapped them into the ground, then launched upwards and pulled off the head of another.

In the end, Shirayuki and Zen weren't even out of breath. Not a scratch on them, they stared at each other in shock. Shirayuki smiled again, and lifted her hands. The bodies of the Xerturts were lifted high into the sea, near the body of the monster.

Zen lifted his arms and moved them to the side in a wave motion. The monster and the bodies of the Xerturts, the tormentors of the pod for weeks, were all pushed away into the depths of the sea.

Shirayuki and Zen rose to watch them go.

Zen was in awe at his new power. He looked down at his arms. He had been through a lot in the past few weeks, but this was one of the more unique experiences he really couldn't find fault with.

Shirayuki suddenly threw her arms around him, and he gasped in surprise, hugging her back. "You can move!" He realized, finally. They spun around three times, tails chasing each other and Zen felt a weird tugging on his heart with joy.

Shirayuki giggled into his shoulder and pulled back. "I know!" She back flipped away from him and went swimming upwards, twirling and spiraling in a dance of sheer excitement.

Zen watched her, star struck.

She swam down finally and put her arms around him once more. She sighed and leaned into his neck. "This is amazing."

Zen looked down, and saw the pod was slowly emerging. They looked up at them in shock, in awe, in confusion. "We have to explain a lot."

Shirayuki looked down and blinked. "Oh. Um, I'm not sure if we can."

Lioj swam up to them and circled them excitedly. Shirayuki laughed as her hair was spun upwards. She held her hand out and Lioj rested his chin on her hand.

Zen smiled at the affectionate display. "We can try."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello everyone! Happy Summer, freaking finally! After the horrible awfulness of last semester, I know I'm glad to be free from college for at least two months. This is a longer chapter, and it's one of the chapters that made me mad! We don't have a lot of time left Below Surface, and I haven't shown off the best parts of it yet! But anyways, I really like this chapter and I hope you do too! I stayed up til like 5 am writing it all. Hope you enjoy, and remember, review!**

* * *

Shirayuki whipped around, flinging her arm out and to the side.

The water responded, blasting backwards the three Xerturts trying to get to her.

Shirayuki flipped upside down, grabbing the throat of a Xerturt and throwing it into the ground. She pulled herself right side up and dug her fingers under the gills of another, lifting it high above her. Blood leaked around her fingers from its gills as she dug her nails into the skin. Then she let it go, and the creature was launched towards the surface, miles away.

Shirayuki's tail glowed as she ripped through the Xerturt ranks. The fins on her arm helped keep her motions even more precise and deadly, while also working as sensors and when a rare Xerturt managed to get close, blades.

She finished off the last Xerturt by tossing it into the ground, where the sand enveloped it for a minute.

Shirayuki was left swimming just in front of the pod, in open water. Blood pooled around her, and Shirayuki was trying to keep from inhaling it. She kept her breaths short and looked around, looking and feeling for the next attack.

Instead, she sensed a shark.

A Great White from the feel of its tail. Sharks were both welcome and unwelcome this close to the village. Welcome, because it meant the threat was truly fading if the apex predators felt safe enough to come inspect the blood smell. Unwelcome because they would get a little too comfortable and try to go after the mers.

She spun around, ready to send the shark blasting back the way it came, when suddenly all the blood in the water lifted away from her. The Xerturts bodies were lifted as well, disappearing in to the scarlet cloud. She watched it go, letting out a sigh of relief as her hair was pulled up much the same way. The blood circled into an oval shape, then darted away into the depths.

 _"I figure the sharks can enjoy that smell themselves."_

Shirayuki looked down again and saw Obi smiling at her. His eyes glowed the same gold, his spear was just as sharp by his side, and his fin still curled in ways a Great White's never could. _"Obi_. _"_ The mermaid breathed.

Obi dipped his head in greeting.

 _"You look like you got hugged by a jellyfish."_ Shirayuki blurted, swimming towards him worriedly. Her eyes were on his chest, where a bunch of new scars had appeared. The more she scanned his tan skin and gray scales, the more bruises and new wounds she found. There was a particularly nasty gash that was still scarring over right his upper chest.

 _"It's good to see you too."_ Obi snorted. He held out his hand to stop her when she reached out to touch the scar. _"I'm fine, Shirayuki."_

 _"What-What happened to you? Why are you…so damaged?"_ Shirayuki asked incredulously. She couldn't imagine anything in the entire sea that could do so much damage to a Sharkman.

Behind her, the pod's lights turned from an anxious yellow to a more relaxed green, seeing that they weren't in danger. Obi watched the lights, the fins on his arm catching the colors. He sighed. _"You and Zen aren't the only ones who have been battling the Liopleurodons."_

 _"There…there are more out there?"_ Shirayuki stopped swimming for a second in dismay. _"How many?"_

 _"Too many."_ Obi shook his head. _"But regardless, we have strength in our numbers. We'll take them all down."_ Obi twirled his spear and slammed the butt of it into the ground. He smiled at Shirayuki. _"You look well. The_ Aigua _suits you."_

Shirayuki brushed her hair out of her face and looked sheepishly at her fins. _"Oh. Thank you."_ A heavy weight settled on Shirayuki's chest. _"Are…Are you here to take me to the whirlpool?"_

Obi's smile lessened. His eyes grew sympathetic. _"I am sorry. We have a few hours before we must set out on our journey."_

A horrible sinking feeling – which was something mers didn't usually get to experience; swam its way down Shirayuki's throat. She stared at her fin despondently. _"I…I had almost forgotten about this. It's really going to happen, isn't it?"_

Obi nodded slowly. _"Zen must return to the land. And you with him."_

Shirayuki sank to the ocean floor, curling her tail around her protectively. _"But…why?"_

Obi swam down to kneel in front of her. _"Don't despair, Shirayuki. You will return to the ocean again."_

Shirayuki bit her lip. _"Obi…Zen adjusted to this life poorly. He nearly died multiple times. I…I don't want to experience the life of the land."_

Obi put his hand on Shirayuki's shoulder. _"I don't know what I can truly say here to calm your fears. The land is a scary place to us mers, but to the humans, it is home. If Zen can find some sources of joy down here, you will find sources of joy up there. Now-"_ Suddenly Obi's gills flared.

Shirayuki felt it at the same time. _"They're back."_

Obi rose and retrieved his spear as Shirayuki spun into a fighting stance, higher off the ground. She curled her fists as the Xerturts approached them in a wide semi-circle, gurgling their weird battle cries. And that's not all. Farther away, Shirayuki felt the tell-tale swish of another monster-Liopluerdon, approaching.

 _"Where is the Prince?"_ Obi grunted, pulling his spear back in a fighting stance. _"We could use another_ Aigua _user."_

 _"He's protecting a hunting party, they're long gone by now. He'll be back in a few hours."_ Shirayuki responded, the water swirling around her as her eyes glowed gold.

Obi heaved a sigh. _"Alright then, let's send them off."_

* * *

 _"So, Zen."_ Kihal started, ducking under a leaf of kelp. Around the group of ten mers, the light danced as the kelp moved with the currents. The mers had been silent up to this point, listening for the feel of the currents and any approaching creatures. Their weapons, knives and swords and spears were battle hardened, but they would work well to kill their prey. _"Tell me about yourself."_

Zen, who was in front of the group, looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. _"You haven't shown any interest in me before, why start now?"_

Kihal shrugged, the stub of her left arm moving with the motion. Zen was still so shocked to see how fast she had healed. Within two weeks, she was without her cast and her wound had completely closed. He had asked Shirayuki about this, but his timing of his question was a little poor. As Shirayuki had her hair pulled into a tight bun and was swimming amuck creating herbal mixes that could be toxic if even the tiniest mistake was made. But, it was Shirayuki, of course. So she answered his question while creating plumes of nauseating smells into the air. _"Mers heal much faster than humans, Zen."_

The ex-guardian of the pod had been denied on their first hunting trip out since the Stalking, but of course Kihal snuck after the group anyways with a long spear. And of course, she had gotten the biggest kill. So, now no one questioned whether or not she was still able to fight with a missing limb, as they'd find her more capable than perhaps even themselves. _"That was before you were suddenly granted the_ Aigua." Kihal said.

Zen thought, then said; _"Well, I'm actually a human. I come from the land, there I am a Prince of a huge Kingdom. I was kidnapped by pirates and thrown overboard, and the Sea gave me a tail instead of drowning me."_

Kihal blinked, then laughed. " _Okay, sure. And I have a secret human boyfriend living on the moon."_

 _"Good for you."_ Zen responded.

Kihal laughed again as Zen stopped.

He faced the hunters. _"Here's good. Keep within the kelp forest, and come back in an hour. I'll come find you if you don't. Be safe, and good hunting."_

The hunters nodded and all took off into the kelp, disappearing into the incredibly high stalks.

All except Kihal, who crossed her arm over her chest. _"I'm beginning to think you don't like me."_

Zen blinked. _"I don't know what you're talking about, Kihal. I really enjoy your company."_

 _"Then why are you hiding so much from me?"_ Kihal asked, pulling her mouth to the side.

Zen shook his head. _"Kihal…I don't know why the Sea gave me the_ Aigua. _I don't feel worthy of it in the slightest."_ Zen stared at his hands. _"I'm…I'm not from here. Where I come from…my legacy means I shouldn't even be here. I have no right."_

Kihal blinked. " _Whoa, hang on a minute. Zen, are you alright? You're not suicidal, are you?"_

Zen shook his head with a soft smile. _"No, no. Don't worry, I'm…speaking metaphorically."_ He ran his hand through his hair. His hair had gotten pretty long, he was sure if he were on land it would curl up uncontrollably. It was almost fully blonde as well. While his mid-section had never been more toned, his arms a little less so. _"Kihal, my past is a little bit of a messy place."_

Kihal gestured to her lack of an arm. _"Try me, Butterfish."_

Zen rolled his eyes. _"Well…I grew up with a brother and my mom. I didn't really know my dad all that well. He was too busy for us. I trained in the sword, because my family was from…well, I was destined to be a ruler after my brother."_

Kihal's gaze suddenly hardened. _"Wait a minute..."_ She studied him closely, then backed up rapidly. _"It all makes sense now!"_

Zen blinked.

 _"You're a royal. Descended from our King and Queen!"_ Kihal gaped. There was no malice in her voice, but she still looked confused. _"Wait…how would you know Shirayuki then? No one loves them, but I think Shirayuki is the most vocal about her dislike of the Royals."_

"Oh." Zen blinked. "Um…Well, oops." He cleared his throat, then made a conscious effort to switch back to mermish. _"Well, I did something bad. And got thrown in the dungeon. Shirayuki…trespassed on the castle's grounds, and they tossed her in with me. We managed to escape together, and she let me start a new life with her here until I've figured out a plan."_

Kihal's tail quivered. _"Wow. That's quite a tale."_

Zen rubbed the back of his neck. He was a good liar – when he was forced to be. He didn't like lying to Kihal, however. She was super close with Shirayuki and was one of the few mers in the pod who actually treated him like he was normal. She had proved herself to be a great friend. _"Promise you won't tell anyone else? Everyone else already thinks pretty low of me."_

Kihal smiled at him. She swam up and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. _"You're secret's safe with me. I can't believe that you'd give up being a royal so easily, though."_

Zen scoffed. _"Royal life is horrible for someone like me."_

 _"Hmm."_ Kihal teasingly knocked her fin against his. _"Alright, Mr. Princey, I'll see you within an hour."_

 _"Happy hunting."_ Zen said, waving as Kihal dove into the kelp strands, her spear soon as she was gone, Zen sighed. He looked up to the surface longingly. Surely, it wouldn't be long now. Anxious thoughts bubbled inside him, he had sort of lost track of how long he had been away from the castle. He tried to do the math, and his best estimate was he had been gone for at least five whole weeks. He imagined that the knights had found the little village Garack and Yatsufusa, standing there confused with a boarded up window with the shape of him carved in it.

The knights would report back to his brother, who would then probably end up interview the healers himself. Zen scrubbed his face with a groan at the thought of his older brother's reaction; "My brother…swam out to sea and drowned himself?" If Izana hadn't already thought him dead, he probably now thought of him as an absolute maniac.

And poor Mitsuhide and Kiki. They would be trying so desperately to be figuring out what had happened to him. Zen needed to find a way to contact them before anyone else. They were the only way he could sneak back into the kingdom unnoticed. As much as he wished he could, he couldn't simply walk out of the sea and begin the treck back to the castle he called home. No, he would have to be slippery about this. He would need to travel back alone, unrecognized. Izana no doubt kept his disappearance on the down low, Zen needed to do the same.

His thoughts of the land made him think he was human. For a quick second, he attempted to breathe in through his mouth. Suddenly unable to fill his lungs, he coughed and grabbed his throat in surprise. He coughed until he had expelled the water from his lungs and took a huge breath through his gills, though he had to cover his mouth and pinch his nostrils shut to do it.

He sighed with relief and let himself sink down, leaning backwards as he stared at the surface. "Soon." He told himself.

* * *

Zen returned with Kihal to Shirayuki later that night and stopped dead when he swam through the doorway.

Kihal ran into him. _"Oof! Move it, seaweed breath."_ She shoved him forward and Zen caught Lioj for support. When Kihal peered around him her mouth formed a perfect "o". _"Oh."_ She breathed. _"I didn't realize…wow."_ Kihal slipped around Zen like a minnow and swam up to Obi, who was sitting at a table Shirayuki had set.

Zen jumped as the basket of fresh food Kihal had caught bumped him on the head. Kihal had dropped it in her rush to get around Zen. Zen grabbed it and pulled it down to the ground, absentmindedly setting it on the floor and covering it with a small stone to keep it from floating upwards.

Food floated around the room, it all smelled delicious. Since the mers could actually eat now, Shirayuki wasn't the only one who had been feasting for dinner almost every night. This seemed a little more extra than usual, however.

Obi smiled at Kihal. _"Hello to you as well."_

 _"You're a Sharkman! I didn't even know you were real!"_ Kihal caught herself and blushed. _"Oh, I'm a-I'm sorry."_ She swam around Obi to Shirayuki, grabbing her by the bicep strongly and turning her around with a wild look in her eyes. Shirayuki laughed aloud at something she whispered. Then she turned and smiled at Zen. "Welcome back." She said in English.

Zen smiled back, but he caught the sad look in her eyes. Zen took a deep breath and then smiled at Obi. "Hey, Obi."

"Prince." Obi responded, rising from the table. His spear was leaning on the wall, just within his arms reach. "It's good to see you well. The _Aigua_ has truly made you a real mer."

"Oh." Zen studied the fins on his arm. "Thank you, I think." He clapped his hand with Obi and shook it firmly. "You look…um, well like you've been hugged by a jellyfish."

Obi laughed. "Shirayuki said the same thing." He pulled his hand free. "Come, Shirayuki has invited me for dinner. We have a lot to discuss."

Once Kihal got over her shock, they all settled in for dinner. Lioj munched noisily in the corner of the room, but that was normal. How strange, Zen realized. He would miss these evenings, where the light of the _Vidre_ glowed an even blue, and the smells of all the spices of the sea drifted around the room. Shirayuki, Kihal and himself would all just chat about nothings and tlak about their days.

Tonight was a little tenser, but old habits die hard. Kihal and Shirayuki joked about a a hunter who had challenged Kihal for the bigger kill that day, and how Kihal and utterly destroyed him with her catch while he brought back barely a nibble of a fish. Zen and Shirayuki looped Obi into their dinner conversations as well, talking about the pros and cons of the _Aigua_.

 _"For one, I can't roll in my sleep any more. Which is good, but also bad, as the fins will shred my bedding."_ Shirayuki was saying.

Kihal laughed. _"Waking up to that must have been shocking."_

Obi laughed, but then sighed. _"Shirayuki, thank you for the lovely feast. Kihal, you should be proud of your hunting prowess."_

Kihal blushed and swept her tail under the table sheepishly, knocking into Zen's accidentally.

Zen shot her a look.

 _"Obi, are you staying the night?"_ Shirayuki inquired.

Obi nodded. _"But not here. I'll take the night shift, you two both should enjoy a full night's rest."_

Zen and Shirayuki blinked in surprise. _"Are you sure, Obi? Don't you need to sleep?"_

Obi shook his head. _"I only need a few minutes of rest to keep me going for hours. We leave tomorrow morning, after all."_

At this Kihal jumped. _"Wait, you're leaving?"_

Shirayuki exchanged a wince with Zen. There was an uncomfortable pause, where Lioj's relaxed breath as he digested filled the room. Then Shirayuki grabbed Kihal's hand. _"Kihal…Zen and I are leaving. Zen…forever, and me…for a few weeks at the least."_

Kihal's jaw dropped. She looked at Zen. _"Where are you going? Forever?! I-"_

 _"Kihal."_ Obi interrupted. _"The ocean has called upon these two mers. They have a great quest ahead of them, and they will need your support from afar."_

Kihal blinked. _"N-No!"_ She grabbed Shirayuki's hand and turned to face her. _"Shirayuki, you can't leave me. We've only just gotten to know each other! I-I don't want to say goodbye already."_

Shirayuki closed her eyes and smiled, and Zen knew her well enough to know that she was holding back tears. _"Kihal…It's only temporarily. I'll need you to watch the shop for me while I'm gone. Maybe even run it, if you feel well versed enough in my medicines."_

Kihal shook her head desperately. _"No, no. Please."_

Zen's heart reached out to the mer. _"Kihal-"_ He started.

She wheeled on him. _"And you! Forever?! Why forever? I thought you were starting anew with us, here!"_

Obi gave Zen a curious look.

Zen shook his head desperately, hoping the Sharkman wasn't thinking that he _wanted_ to stay down here forever. Then he caught Kihal's look of shock and opened is hands pleadingly. _"Kihal…I didn't tell you the full truth. Shirayuki was to help me start a new way of living, but I wasn't meant to stay here. I have another…place to go. Another place I can call home."_

Kihal looked no less satisfied, but Shirayuki tugged on her arm for her attention. _"Kihal, I promise we'll give you a full explanation in a bit, but…after dinner. Not while Obi's here."_

Obi shook his head. _"No, no, please. Allow me."_ He faced Kihal. _"The Ocean works in strange ways. You deserve to know the full truth, but you cannot spread the knowledge."_ Before Zen and Shirayuki could even try to argue, Obi told Kihal everything. During the story, Zen and Shirayuki were silent, not sure whether or not they were welcome to chime in or not.

When Obi finished, Kihal was sitting like a stone in her seat. She looked at Zen. _"So, you_ were _telling me the truth."_

Zen shrugged helplessly. _"I'm sorry, Kihal."_

 _"I…I just need a minute."_ Kihal pushed herself away from the table. _"Excuse me."_ She swam upstairs quickly.

Shirayuki straightened from her sitting position. _"Kihal!"_

 _"Let her digest."_ Obi suggested, catching Shirayuki's hand. _"Please, we still have things to discuss."_

Shirayuki reluctantly sat down again. _"Poor Kihal. I feel so bad."_

Zen reached over the table and squeezed her hand.

Shirayuki squeezed it back gratefully, then they both looked to Obi, who looked surprised.

 _"Uh, right."_ He cleared his throat, then spoke in English. "English from now on, just in case Kihal hears us. I found the Circle of Tides."

"The Circle of Tides?" Shirayuki and Zen both repeated.

Obi nodded. "The Circle of Tides has been here since the Sea first formed. They are integral for Her, consider it one of Her organs."

"Ew." Zen shook his head.

"I don't know what that word is." Shirayuki blinked.

Obi raised his hands. "Just know that if the Circle of Tides ever stopped, a huge part of the ocean would die off."

"Okay, then?" Zen looked at Shirayuki.

Shirayuki shrugged. "Obi, you told us it would take you a week at most to get to the Tides. But we haven't seen you in at least two or three. Is that because of the monster attacks?"

Obi nodded. "The Tides are a four day journey, that's true. But because of the release of the Sea's elder creations, all Sharkmen were needed to fight and kill them off. I can't say that I've finished that mission, but the Sea grows ever weaker. Whomever or whatever is Above Surface is still working their strange magic to destroy the Sea."

"How are we supposed to be able to stop it?" Zen asked.

Obi took a deep breath. "The Sea told me…the Moon would tell you."

No mer moved, then Shirayuki groaned while Zen let his head hit against the table.

Obi let out a startled laugh. "Um?"

Zen turned his head to face Obi. "We've met the Sea herself, now you're telling me we're going to meet the _moon_?"

Obi smiled as understanding filled his eyes. "Ah, I see. The Moon knows more about what goes on Above Surface than the Sea. She will be your guide on your journey back home, Prince Zen."

Zen straightened. "Alright." He smiled at Shirayuki, who leaned her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at the Prince.

Obi watched the two with a small smile. "Get some rest." He lifted himself from the table. "I have to meet with the pod Elder now. We'll leave tomorrow morning."

Shirayuki and Zen rose. They murmured goodbyes as Obi grabbed his spear and swam out. As he passed Lioj, he scratched the manta between the eyes.

Zen sighed. "Alright. I guess it's time to-"

 _"No you don't!"_ Darting like a minnow, Kihal suddenly exploded from downstairs. She circled Shirayuki three times, so fast that Shirayuki actually spun around with the current before Kihal wrapped her tail around Shirayuki's to stop her

 _"Kihal?!"_ Shirayuki exclaimed, pushing her hair out of her face.

Kihal grinned at Zen, looking happier than a dolphin in the waves. _"You two aren't going anywhere just yet!"_ She tugged on Shirayuki's tail and let go, diving for the entrance. She grabbed Zen's arm and pulled him towards the door. _"Come with me!"_

 _"Do we have a cho-whoa!"_ Zen gasped as Kihal yanked him outside.

Shirayuki exchanged a startled glance with Lioj, who followed them outside dutifully.

* * *

Shirayuki thought the blindfolds weren't necessary.

Shirayuki and Zen had seaweed wraps around their eyes as they were lead…somewhere through the pod. Once Shirayuki had hit the side of a building, and another time Zen's guide accidentally pulled him into someone's pet octopus, which terrified all parties involved.

But when Kihal excitedly whispered; _"now"_ and the blindfolds came off, Shirayuki understood.

 _"Oh, Kihal."_ Shirayuki breathed.

The center of the pod had been decorated hastily. Kelp strands had been laced from building to building and decorated with glowing orange plankton, which gave the town square something similar to sunset lighting. Almost the entire pod had to be there, all smiling at Zen and Shirayuki. A group of seashell players were sat in the corner, looking excited to be able to finally play after weeks of forced silence. The mers were all adjourned with beautiful jewels and skirts, scales glimmering in the lighting.

"Wow." Zen spoke in English.

Shirayuki glanced at him. His blue eyes had never seemed lighter as he stared around the square. The plankton occasionally drifted off the kelp strands before sliding back against the vines, making the illusion of the light dancing around. His hair was glowing, and his tail fin was curling and closing excitedly.

Kihal nudged her excitedly as a mer swam forward.

Zen jumped in surprise. _"Master!"_ He greeted.

The merman who taught Zen how to fight underwater smiled at Zen and affectionately ruffled Zen's hair. Then he lifted a necklace over Zen's head, resting it against his chest by pushing the pendant against Zen's skin. _"For the mers who saved our pod."_ He raised his free hand for Shirayuki, and Shirayuki took it, swimming forward. _"Kihal told us you were leaving for a long journey. We wanted to give you a proper send off, and a proper thank you."_ He pulled his hand away from Zen's pendant, and another mermaid swam up in front of Shirayuki.

 _"We treated you with disdain, and for our poor judgements we sincerely apologize."_

 _"Oh, no. No, please."_ Shirayuki shook her head, a red blush to match her hair growing over her face.

The mermaid smiled. She reached up and pulled Shirayuki's hair back, swimming around the herbalist to tie her hair back. Shirayuki reached back when she finished with surprise, and her hand was gently grazed by a spiral seashell, adjourned with beautiful pearl dustings. _"Thank you."_ Shirayuki breathed.

The mermaid bowed. _"No, thank you. May this pin protect you during your quest."_

The mermaid and merman hugged, then turned to the pod. _"Is this a farewell party or not? Start the music!"_

As the pod cheered, Zen leaned in and whispered in Shirayuki's ear. "Are those magic pearls too?"

Shirayuki felt the pin again. "I don't sense any, so I don't think so."

Zen smiled and pulled a piece of her hair free, curling it around his finger before letting it drop. "It looks good."

Shirayuki almost forgot to breathe for a second. Then she smiled and looked away without really thinking. "Uh-um."

Kihal laughed as she swam past Shirayuki. _"Come on guys, the dancing is starting!"_

Once again, Shirayuki found herself welling with love at her pod. The music began to play. There was no hesitation, the musicians released their instruments like an eel striking the next food source. The pod laughed and cheered as first the younglings swam into the center of the pod. They spun, their heads facing the surface and their tails loose as they drifted together, arms out to the side. They laughed and giggled as the pod cheered. One little mermaid twirled right in front of Shirayuki and Zen and knelt, presenting a beautiful green skirt for Shirayuki.

 _"Thank you."_ Shirayuki breathed, leaning down to accept the skirt. She wrapped it around her waist, pinching it shut and doing a twirl in it. _"It's perfect."_

The young mermaid giggled and back flipped through the air, joining her friends in a dance where they clapped and spun in perfect beat with the music. It was a little as if their dancing restrained the musicians.

The younglings grabbed hands and swam close together, before exploding outwards and back off the ground. The entire pod roared with applause, before the rest of the mers swam forward and began weaving and waving in their own dance.

Kihal laughed and nudged Shirayuki as she joined them.

Lioj let out a purr and dove up and around. The younglings chased him, and Lioj turned to face them, pulling in his tail. The little ones cheered and before Shirayuki could blink they were circling him. Lioj spun in place happily.

 _"Aw._ " Zen smiled.

Mers who weren't dancing lead Zen and Shirayuki to tables of food, and suddenly Shirayuki regretted making such a feast before. All of the food looked so delicious, and she didn't have the stomach to eat any of it.

So instead, they chatted. Mers of all kinds came up to the two users of _Aigua_ and dressed them with too many gifts. Zen received a coral bracelet, three pins into his hair, two necklaces, an offering to pierce his fin, and a whole handful of earrings. To Shirayuki's surprise, he stuck one onto his left ear and then smiled at the merman who had given him it.

Shirayuki was given two other layers to her skirt, earrings as well, more clips for her hair, four bracelets, and six necklaces. She wasn't sure what to do with it all. But Zen and Shirayuki adorned what they could just in time for the musicians to control their instruments. Slow, melodic tones rang out, drifting happily through the water with a steady thumping in the background to keep it all tied together. The music whispered through Shirayuki's ears, and her tail twitched with the urge to dance.

She looked around, but no one seemed like they weren't paired off. Then Shirayuki looked at Zen, who had settled at the edge of the table, looking as if he was content to simply watch the whole display.

It nagged at Shirayuki that Zen hadn't truly seen living underwater for what it was. Thanks to the Stalking, he had lived his live down here in fear. And that didn't sit right with Shirayuki. She swam towards him and put her hands over his, getting near his face. _"Hey. Come dance with me."_

Zen blinked in surprise. _"What?"_

 _"You heard me."_ Shirayuki pulled him upright.

 _"I…I don't know how to dance without…um, with…"_ Zen lifted his fin to the side and wiggled it a little.

 _"I'll teach you."_ Shirayuki promised. She pulled him into the water. They found an open spot, and Shirayuki grabbed Zen's hand. She pulled it to her waist. _"Here."_ She clasped her hand to his shoulder, and then held out his other hand just to the side of them. _"And here."_

Zen laughed. _"I know…that much."_

Shirayuki grinned. _"But you don't know this part."_ Shirayuki pulled him downwards, flipping them backwards before pulling them into a tight spiral.

"Whoa." Zen laughed at the motion, as they spun three times before loosening.

 _"And then you just…move with the water."_ Shirayuki shrugged, pulling them upwards.

 _"Wow, so descriptive."_ But Zen was beginning to get it. As the twirl ended, he twisted, pulling himself around Shirayuki so her tail flared out attractively, pulling back into them with enough force to tip them sideways and around once more.

Zen laughed. _"Wow. This is…it's like gravity doesn't exist."_

Shirayuki shrugged and pulled them into a tight flip, the lights bending behind Zen and moving in and out of focus, but he stayed clear the whole way. Their tails flicked and pulled them out of the flip together, synchronizing them to the side. Shirayuki watched his face, waiting for him to notice that they were moving to the music.

His face scrunched as they twirled, Shirayuki displaying her fin again. _"Are-Are we-"_

 _"Yes!"_ Shirayuki laughed, pulling him into a spiral. They moved backwards for her, eyes locked.

The song seemed like it could have gone on for eternity. Shirayuki had forgotten how great it felt to dance with someone. And Zen was a natural, pulling and twirling expertly in the water as if he had done it all his life. He laughed alongside Shirayuki, and even once let go of her to complete a perfect spiral and flip right back into her arms.

The night went on, and Shirayuki and Zen found themselves dancing with each other many other times. As the party slowly died down, Shirayuki and Zen finished one final twirl before separating.

Zen's Master raised his hand in the air. _"To our heroes!"_

 _"To our heroes!"_ The pod echoed, before all the mers bent themselves gracefully in a bow.

Shirayuki, still holding onto Zen, gave a breathless laugh and buried her face in Zen's chest with embarrassment.

Later that night, Shirayuki woke once to a weird tingle in her fin. Lioj was lying on her bed, his tail had drifted a little too close to her scales. She wiggled it just slightly, and Lioj straightened it immediately. He gave a small sigh, half asleep but not quite there yet. He winked at Shirayuki, and she rolled to the side to ignore him. She hardly had time to notice how Zen's new pendant radiated something very powerful as it gently touched against her chest when she curled into him before sleep grabbed her conscious and yanked it back into a deep sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

**Today it is over 90 degrees. I haven't left the pool in literally like nine plus hours, typing this hurts my fingers. But I wanted to update this, as I forgot I actually finished this chapter last week and it's just been sitting, waiting for me to actually open the fanfiction tab and update. Sorry! I hope you enjoy this chapter. We're almost out of the sea! That makes me sad! But hopefully your excited to see what happens when Shirayuki gets some legs. See you all soon, and remember, review!**

* * *

Zen awoke to only red. He blinked in confusion, before he realized he was staring at hair. He lifted his arms, pushing the hair aside gently. He twitched his tail, Lioj groaning in protest.

As he came to his senses, Zen realized that Shirayuki was lying next to him. Her tail was curled around his once lazily, and her arms were right against his chest. Lioj was lying just beneath them, one of his wings covering Zen's tail. Zen let out a huff of breath that made his gills flare, and looked outside. It was just morning, the light hadn't quite reached the bottom of the sea yet from what he felt.

He pushed aside Shirayuki's hair again, trying to ignore how nice it smelled. He looked around groggily. They were lying in his bed, probably because Shirayuki's was still a ragged mess from where she had accidentally torn it in her sleep. Shirayuki still had her skirt on from last night and Zen was still wearing most of the jewelry he had been given. including the pendant his Master had given him. He had to say, that one was probably his favorite.

The Prince had to smile at the memories of last night. While he had never truly loved dancing, last night had been a kind of dance he could have done for hours.

Lioj stirred finally and lifted off his tail with a grunt.

 _"Good morning, Lioj."_ Zen grumbled, flicking his fin free finally. He could probably wiggle free from the bed, but he was afraid he'd wake up Shirayuki. Instead, he settled his tail and stared around the room. The last time he was going to see it. He wasn't sure if he felt sad or anxious or even happy, it had been a home for him for weeks.

Zen leaned his head back, gently distancing himself from Shirayuki so she wouldn't hit him in disgust when she realized their proximity.

He was finally, _finally_ going home. The thought of seeing his country, his two best friends, and his…well, in all honesty his _legs_ had his fin curling with joy. He wanted to give his mother the biggest hug, and even his brother's annoying smirk would be refreshing. He didn't really miss paperwork, but oh, the fun adventures he had sneaking away with Mitsuhide and Kiki when he could. And his bed! A normal, human bed, with miles of thick blankets and soft pillows to actually hug his body and keep him warm. Not just a springy bunch of seaweed.

Shirayuki mumbled and curled closer to him, kicking her tail slightly in her sleep to push herself against his side.

Zen blinked, then let out a disbelieving breath.

Lioj slowly warmed himself up by swimming gently around the room, barely moving his wings as he basically flew.

Zen would miss that. His tail gave him the feeling of freedom like nothing else. He could always swim away, he always had a way to slip free of chains or ropes or responsibilities. And dancing with a tail instead of two legs? Oh, no contest. And sometimes just sitting near _Vidre,_ watching the lights move and dance as if they were alive. Trying to change them by tricking them and always failing. There was a magic – and, of course, actual magic; Below Surface he couldn't deny.

Shirayuki's eyelids fluttered. She stretched, her fin swishing back and forth. Then her eyes opened, and she was staring right into Zen's.

Zen counted silently in his head, trying to bite back his smile. _3…2…1…and…._

 _"What are you doing in my bed?!"_ Shirayuki trilled, her nostrils flaring as she launched herself away from the bed and into the air, almost into Lioj. The manta ray slipped underneath her and above Zen before he hit ether of them.

Zen rose, smiling. But also fighting back a huge blush he could feel in his neck. _"You're in_ my _bed, excuse you."_

Shirayuki's cheeks were as red as her hair. She stared at the mess of her mattress and then down at her skirt, and groaned, covering her hands in her head. _"Don't mention this."_

 _"To?"_

 _"Anyone!"_ Shirayuki made a face at him and swam to the other side of the room, trying to take off her skirt.

Zen looked outside. It was just past dawn, Obi should have been here by now. A flare of anxiety bubbled up Zen's spine. He hoped the night watch went well. Zen and Shirayuki had spent their night shifts always on a three hour schedule, and usually high above the pod to survey everything in the darkness. Once, Zen had actually touched the surface of the water before realizing he had let himself float that high up. He wondered where Obi was watching from.

A groan from Shirayuki made him turn his attention back to her.

She stared at him pitifully from one eye. _"The clasp is stuck."_

 _"Let me help."_ Before Zen could stir the water to push him forward, the enchanted knife sliced through the water and easily snapped the clasp of the skirt open.

Shirayuki gasped and Lioj threw up his tail in shock. The green tailed mermaid grabbed the skirt before it could float to the ground and stared at the knife. _"The magic hasn't worn off this thing yet?"_ Tentatively, she reached up and tapped the knife directly on the blade. The metal didn't react, just remained floating where it was.

 _"Magic can wear off?"_ Zen asked, moving forward curiously.

 _"Pearl magic? It always does. Especially in water, where it can get washed off."_ Shirayuki grasped the blade's hilt, and the knife dropped as if it was just a simple tool again. Shirayuki then tossed it into the water, and the knife twirled back in front of her. She looked at Zen, as if he had any answers.

There was a tapping sound downstairs, Obi had come knocking. While mers didn't have doors, they did have a general rule of politeness and magic enchantments to keep visitors out without welcomes.

Zen felt a swell of excitement, but when he looked to Shirayuki his smile died.

The mermaid pulled her arms around herself, her eyes uncertain and wandering. The skirt hung from her fingertips. Her body was leaning backwards a little, her tail floating up on what looked like a reflex.

 _"Hey."_ Zen's voice made her jump.

 _"Oh. Um…sorry. Will you go greet Obi? I just…I still need to get ready."_ She turned away from Zen, her fingers clutching her side fins shakily.

Zen swam towards her, then stopped himself. He nodded to Lioj, who swam over to Shirayuki and gently circled her. The Prince took a steadying breath then ducked downstairs. Obi was waiting by the doorway. The Sharkman had his spear in hand and his gold eyes glowed. At Zen's smile and wave, Obi swam inside.

 _"Good morning."_ He said.

 _"Morning."_ Zen responded. _"Shirayuki's upstairs, she'll be down soon. How was the night watch?"_

Obi shrugged, spinning his spear before resting it against the wall, where he then leaned back himself. _"A few Xerturts."_

Zen pursed his lips as he leaned over the counter. _"What will happen to this pod, Obi? After we leave? Who will protect them?"_

Obi shook his head. _"We leave when Trow arrives – she's another Warrior of the Sea who possess the_ Aigua. _"_

Zen blinked. _"Sharkmen can be girls?"_

Obi rolled his eyes. _"Are all you humans like this? Constantly assuming the only persons capable of holding power are men?"_

Zen hesitated, then nodded unfortunately. _"If I can stand a defense, most of us are trying to get better at that."_

Obi scoffed. _"To answer your question, yes, we have plenty of female warriors. While not as widely known as Sharkmen, they are the Tigers."_

 _"Tigers?"_ An image of the land dwelling, striped creature popped into Zen's head as he settled on top of the counter, his tail swishing the water lazily.

 _"You will see when Trow arrives. The Tigers' singing is gorgeous."_ Obi's eyes actually closed and he seemed to truly relax for the first time…well, ever. Zen blinked at the display, but then Obi's eyes opened and he slipped back into that feigning of relaxation.

Obi needed to teach Zen that trick.

 _"Can't all mers sing?"_

Obi shrugged. _"Most of them can, but there's being good at singing and then there's Sirens. Some just aren't gifted with the talent."_

 _"Can_ you _sing?"_ Zen grinned at the thought.

Obi smiled back. _"I can. Care for a seduction, Prince?"_

 _"I doubt you could manage that one."_ Zen bit back a snort.

 _"Is this a bad time?"_

Obi and Zen both winced as Shirayuki slipped down from upstairs. She had braided her hair around the side of her head, pinning it with a clip. Not all the way, a good portion of her hair still floated freely, streamlining down her back as she moved. Zen realized it was the clip that she had received last night, the one Zen thought was magic because of it's pearls. She was also wearing two bracelets, and her purse. She smiled at the two of them, and Zen tried to cover his embarrassment.

 _"I can always come back down when you've finished."_ Shirayuki continued to tease. Lioj slipped downstairs behind her, grunting with the effort.

 _"We were only joking!"_ Zen gaped.

All mers chuckled.

 _"Shirayuki and Zen, are you ready?"_

Zen straightened. _"Ready."_

Both mermen looked to Shirayuki, who clutched her purse strap tightly and pressed her lips into a thin line. Behind her, the _Vidre_ glowed a sparkling green. Then she looked up. _"Ready."_

* * *

They saw no mers as they left, but at the gates of the pod they were met by a mermaid. She was lounging against a rock, picking lazily at her wickedly sharp nails. She had scales down the sides of her cheeks, and her ears had little fins as well. Her skin was pale but had traces of a deep tan. She wore no shirt, and Zen tried not to feel embarrassed about that. Her tail was shorter than Obi's, with a shorter fin but with more extra dorsal down the front and back of it. The gray was mottled with black stripes and dots – the perfect image of a tiger shark. She had golden brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail, and her eyes were amber with gold lining the iris's.

At their arrival, she smirked and kicked upwards, flinging herself up and around so she was in Zen's face in the blink of an eye. _"So. You're the famous Prince."_

Before he could respond to that, the Tiger turned and smiled at Shirayuki. _"And you're the famous healer."_

Obi leaned on his staff with a small smile and a soft roll of his eyes as the Tiger righted herself, extending her hand straight forward towards Zen. Like them, she had fins protruding from her forearms. _"I hear this is how people on land greet each other. I'm Trow."_

Zen snorted a small bubble. He grabbed her hand, careful of her claws, and lowered it gently, then gave it a shake. _"Well met. I'm Zen."_

Trow blinked curiously at their hands before Zen let her go. She smiled it off and turned to Shirayuki. _"A pleasure to meet you too. I like your necklace. I can promise you you're pod will be completely safe under my care."_

Shirayuki blinked gratefully, then pulled Trow in for a tight hug. Trow blinked in surprise, and Obi looked at Zen for explanation.

Zen made a sympathetic face. Shirayuki tended to reach out for touch when she needed comfort. But he didn't say anything and shot Obi a warning look as Shirayuki pulled back.

" _Sorry. I'm just grateful to you."_ Shirayuki said.

Trow paused, then gave a half smile. _"Right. I'm sure that's it."_ Trow's eyes traveled to Lioj, sitting behind Shirayuki and blinking curiously at the Tiger. _"Oh! Your so cute!"_ Trow rushed forward and ran her hand down Lioj's back. Lioj jumped, but relaxed under her touch.

Obi groaned. _"Trow, where's your spear?"_

Trow blinked, then did a slow spin. _"Oh, curse the skies! Must have left it buried in the side of that Liopleurdon I skewered the last hour. Sorry."_ She extended her hand and made a motion like she was grabbing something. Nothing happened, but Zen felt the stirring of the current in his tail. Trow grinned at Obi. _"No worries, it's coming back."_

Obi gave Zen an apologetic look.

Zen grinned. _"It's nice to see someone who enjoys their job."_

Trow was suddenly in front of him, and she bopped a finger against his nose, making him blink. _"That's the idea! Life's too short – this guy gets it!"_ Zen blinked and she was gone again, moved back to Shirayuki to grab her hands. How was she so fast? _"Say, you're a Siren, right?"_

Shirayuki bit her lip. _"I haven't sung in…in a while."_

Trow nodded, humming. _"When you were trying to out sing Kay. Don't feel bad about that, you didn't remember the words to the counter song. But no worries! She won't be able to affect Zen like she did before."_

Zen ran his hands through his hair agitatedly, remembering his first night as a mer. He didn't remember anything past the Queen's singing, and he didn't remember if Shirayuki had tried to sing him back to her or anything. He just remembered hearing the song, and then waking up to a fully paralyzed Shirayuki.

Shirayuki shifted uncomfortably.

Trow made a face. _"Okay, you know what you need?"_ She swam around to Shirayuki's back and put her hands on Shirayuki's shoulders, her tail sticking straight out like a Tiger Shark's actually would. _"You need to sing that old dancing song. I bet we can get both these men dancing like idiots really quick."_

Obi's face stiffened. _"Don't you dare, Trow."_

Trow smiled, and cleared her throat.

Obi looked at Zen. _"Swim!"_ The Sharkman started to take off, but then Trow let out a long whistle that halted him.

Trow let go of Shirayuki and spun around, floating upwards as she sang.

 _"Oh the waves, born of the ivory moon and the salty land._

 _Jump! Jump! Jump! Toss and turn, tumble and rumble._

 _Rejoice for this life, for this world, for this beauty we see."_

Zen expected to feel an uncontrollable urge to dance, or to black out and wake up in an hour with a sore tail and an odd blank in his memory. None of that happened. He still felt very in control of himself.

Obi swam back to his lax position, shaking his head. _"You're not funny, Trow!"_

Trow swam down and grabbed Shirayuki's hand. _"Come, sing with me."_

Shirayuki cast a glance at Zen nervously. _"I…I might actually hypnotize them – or, at least Zen for real this time. I don't think I can sing that."_

Trow frowned, then flipped down so she was right next to Shirayuki. _"Okay, fine. How about this one?"_ Trow settled and curled her tail around her, taking a breath before singing in a much smoother, even baritone that Zen felt in his chest.

" _If I gather all the love in my heart, all the power in the waves,_

 _If I gather all the strength I have been given, all the strength in the currents,_

 _If I gather all the hope I once lost, I will swim into the sun."_

Shirayuki's expression brightened. She settled next to Trow and took a few quick breaths, before opening her mouth and joining in. Her soft soprano rolled right next to Trow's and Zen felt his muscles relaxing. He looked over to Obi to see the Sharkman looked as calm as he felt. Lioj purred loud enough that Zen felt the vibration in his tail. Obi smiled softly at Zen, as if to say; _told you so._

" _I am stronger now. I am different now. I swim through the seas, looking for a past long gone and long returned._

 _I breach with the whales, I skip with the dolphins and glow with the jellyfish._

 _The world is my oyster and I am its pearl. If only I can draw on them._

 _Hope! Strength! Love! They embrace me like a mother, and I believe the only time,_

 _I will ever drown, is without them by my side."_

As the mermaids finished their songs, Zen let out a blissful breathe. Obi clapping jarred him a little, and Zen scrambled to press his hands together as well.

Shirayuki brushed her hair behind her ear, seemingly unable to get rid of her smile. Trow grinned and poked her in the cheek. _"That's how we do it!"_ She zipped over so she was in front of Obi, lying on her stomach with her chin on her hands. _"So, have we seduced any mermen yet?"_ Zen blinked and she was in front of him, teasingly running her finger down his cheek. Zen caught himself before lashing out on instinct. _"I mean, I can never tell with this one; whether he's seduced or just in love."_

Zen felt a blush rush at his neck and cheeks. _"I am not in love with-"_

Trow clicked her tongue to cut him off and spun into the air. She held out her hand and her spear suddenly appeared, rushing right into her palm. She spun it a few times, probably to release all the extra energy from the force of it's speed. It looked like an exact replica of Obi's, only her blade looked a little more battle hardened. Not as well maintained, really. _"Okay, happy mers! I got my spear, so you little minnows can have fun beaching yourselves now! Oh, before I forget."_ Trow appeared by Shirayuki's side, cupping her hand by Shirayuki's ear and whispering something.

Zen watched, as Shirayuki listened intensely, then turned beat red, and shook her head.

Trow giggled and plopped a kiss on the red haired mermaid's cheek. " _And don't forget to keep your vocal cords loose. The Ocean knows the only thing that can cool those beasts of humans is a good song from a pretty lady."_

Shirayuki shook her head again. _"Um, thanks."_

Obi rolled his eyes. _"And that concludes our introductions. Trow, take care of the pod. Zen. Shirayuki. Are you ready?"_

" _Yes."_ Zen responded immediately.

Shirayuki hesitated, then took a deep breath. She gave a brave smile, at which Trow gave her the thumbs up. _"What choice do I have?"_

Obi nodded and lifted his spear. _"Then, follow me."_


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello all! The summer's almost over for me, I have to go back like 2 weeks earlier to my college because of my job and I'm honestly so heartbroken. But, it's been an amazing summer, and I hope you've all had a great one too! In case you are interested, I had to rewrite this chapter like four plus times. Once because I didn't like how I was writing the journey, twice because I lost the document somewhere in the files of my computer, three times because I didn't like my writing style in the one, and the final time because I FORGOT ABOUT LIOJ! I was so ashamed of myself as an author. Anyways, I was trying to recreate the feeling of the chapter in the actual manga where the three were journeying to Lyrias. I think it's like Chapter 91? I hope you enjoy, see you all next time! Remember, Review!**

* * *

The journey was a four day swim. The first day of swimming, Zen got tired and summoned the current to pull him along besides Obi, lounging in the current until Shirayuki shoved him out of it with a giggle. They camped out in the night, finally giving their poor fins a rest. For light, Obi gathered a bunch of glowing planktons and settled them in front of the three mers and the stingray. Lioj had followed dutifully throughout the journey, looking a little glummer than usual. They were hidden in a kelp forest, the strands around them bent enough to give them – while not plentiful, enough space.

"Why are we hiding here? We have the _Aigua,_ nothing can touch us." Zen asked. They had returned to speaking English again, as Obi said Shirayuki should get used to the language.

Obi shook his head at Zen. "Never think you're invincible, surely you know that by now."

Zen dipped his head. "Fair enough."

"Plus, I don't want to have you two woken up by some creature trying to bite our heads off." Obi had burrowed his spear into the ground, leaving it standing like a menacing guard. Shirayuki's knife, which was still enchanted, floated next to it, as if comparing blade sizes.

Shirayuki couldn't keep her eyes off the knife's almost life like movements through the water. She had asked Obi, who had shrugged and believed it must have been the _Aigua_ giving Shirayuki's powers a boost. But it wasn't really the knife she was thinking about.

Lioj curled up closer to Shirayuki with a soft sigh.

Zen nudged her tail with his own after a moment of silence, during which Obi munched on some of the fish they had caught earlier for dinner.

Shirayuki stirred from her trance. "Sorry?"

"You okay?"

"Y-yes." Shirayuki gently ran her hand down her scales, reaching down to slowly rub her fin. "Daydreaming."

Zen gave her a sad look. "Land's not so horrible." He said.

Shirayuki gave a little jolt. "How-How did you know….?"

Zen shrugged. "I know you."

Shirayuki blinked at that, then for the first time it really hit her. She used to hate Zen, but he had somehow become a good friend. Just like that. Shirayuki tried to feel if she had any hatred lingering, considering the first time she met him she was very much thinking about drowning him. But no, there was nothing but calm. Did she even hate humans anymore?

Obi swallowed and cleared his throat. "My advice is not to dwell on it, Shirayuki. The land is foreign, but you will have the moon's protection."

Shirayuki and Zen exchanged a look.

"What?" Obi blinked, his golden eyes were dim in the low light.

Zen scoffed, pulling his tail up and resting his chin on the bend of it. "It's not that simple, Obi." He took a deep breath. "At the risk of making you more anxious, I will say I'm a little worried about returning as well."

Shirayuki was so surprised, she had to put her hand down into the soft sand to lean on. "What?! You? Why in the name of the sea would you be worried? You're going home!"

Zen nodded. "But, I'm a Prince. So, my return would mean…well, it means a lot. For starters, I've been gone roughly about f9ve whole weeks. An entire month. My brother, the first Prince….probably has revealed to the kingdom that I've gone missing. The entire kingdom of Clarines – they all think I'm dead." Zen took a shaky breath, staring at the lights of the plankton. "For all I know, Clarines might have accused another country of stealing me. We might be on the brink of war. So, when I do return – I don't really know how to do it. There's also…well, there's you."

Shirayuki blinked, then felt a cold stone drop into her stomach. "Me?"

"I'm coming back home, yes. But I'm coming home with no real explanation of where I was, who took me; nothing. I can't just say that pirates had me for a month, two people saw me. Two people saw me rip open wooden boards in the middle of a storm to run to the ocean and vanish. And then I have you, who doesn't exist as a person on land."

Shirayuki made a face. "What are you saying?"

Obi's eyes widened and he gave Zen a warning look.

Zen looked up at Shirayuki, and his blue eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, no! Shirayuki, no!" He grabbed Shirayuki's hands. "I'm not saying I'm going to just leave you. I would never, ever even think of something like that."

Shirayuki felt something warm soak across her chest, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Oh."

"You didn't leave me for dead down here, I won't leave you for dead up there."

Obi nodded once. "Good. Now that that's settled, get some rest. We have another long day of travel ahead of us." Obi turned to his spear, pulling it free and gently rewrapping the seaweed around its hilt.

Zen didn't let go of Shirayuki's hands for a moment longer than he should have. But Shirayuki was too busy staring in his eyes for her to really notice. When she did, she pulled back slowly. "Ah…."

Zen's cheeks were hard to see in the low light, but she could have sworn he was blushing. He turned away. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Shirayuki repeated numbly. She turned over and curled up, listening and feeling the currents in the ocean tonight. Lioj gently laid a wing protectively across her as he too slowly began to relax.

* * *

They woke at the first few rays of dawn and swam on. The plankton had long gone, and Shirayuki didn't appreciate having to pull chunks of sand from her hair for half the day, but they trekked on. Into the deep blue oceans, and into the next world.

* * *

They encountered another monster only once, and the three of them created quick work of it. It was in the middle of the night the next night. Shirayuki felt the tell-tale swishing of its massive fins and curled her hand into a fist, picking up grains of sand into her palm. She sat up, seeing the boys had already done the same.

They didn't have the luxury of a kelp forest this time, and were piled up near one rock, sticking slightly slanted out of the sandy ocean bottom. Shirayuki had a crab on her hand that gave her a pinch for shaking it off, cursing her enough that Shirayuki waved her hand and sent the crab spiraling away in a miniature whirlpool.

Above her, Obi was curled around the rock like a seahorse, holding his spear and the full moon glinting far above his head. His golden eyes scanned the ocean like a predator, and Zen was slowly lifting himself up next to the Sharkman from the ground, little trails of sand dripping from his hair and fingers as he looked around. "Where is it?" He grumbled.

Obi sharply turned his head to the left, and sure enough, a dark shape was still, staring at them about a mile away. Its eyes glinted, two tiny sparks in a sea of shadow.

Shirayuki's dagger zipped to her side, ready to defend her. She straightened from the ground, rubbing the back of her hand where the crab had pinched her. "There." She breathed.

Obi twirled his spear. "Be ready."

Shirayuki's fin twitched, and she took a deep breath of salt water.

Lioj leaned against the rock, content to watch the fight than participate. While proven himself more than capable in battle, the ray tended to only lash out if he had to.

For a moment, there was such a hush that Shirayuki could barely hear the hiss of the waves, far above. The mers stared down the predator, who stared at them right back.

Then, they lunged for each other.

Shirayuki darted ahead and around its maw, slipping around the jaws with a rush of water to push her forward. She jammed her elbow into the monster's eye, causing it to roar and thrash its front fin towards her. She swam straight up and avoided the slap, just as Zen swam directly down and pushed the monster into the sea bed from its spine.

Obi was waiting for it. He sliced his spear across the monster's neck, ripping it clean open and causing a waterfall of blood to wash over the Sharkman. Shirayuki thought it was a killing blow, but it clearly wasn't as the monster then launched off the ground and charged straight upwards, one of its eyes closed and swollen from Shirayuki's hit. Its other glinted madly, locked straight on to Shirayuki.

"Shirayuki!" Zen grabbed her arms and on instinct, Shirayuki grabbed his arms. They swam up, both of them using their _Aigua_ to propel them. The surface approached fast, and Shirayuki barely had time to register the massive hull on their starboard before they broke through the waves into Above World.

For a moment, Shirayuki and Zen flew. Droplets surrounded them, little bubbles all reflecting miniatures full moons. The salt hissed and the ocean sang. Shirayuki's fin splayed at the touch of the air. Clear of the water, the moon backed the two as they spun. Shirayuki looked down, seeing the monster open its wide jaws as it also launched itself free of the Sea.

"No, you don't." Zen grumbled through gritted teeth. He raised his arm, and a massive swell rammed into the monster's side, knocking the prehistoric beast off course and back into the sea, just in time for gravity to grab Shirayuki and Zen and pull them downwards.

Shirayuki gave Zen a sort of hopeless smile, then they pushed off each other, pulling their arms over their heads against the wind to dive perfectly back into the sea without so much as a splash.

They had no idea of the humans on that fishing cruise they had just scarred for life, but right then they had more pressing matters.

They returned to Below Surface and found Obi had driven his spear deep into the monster's other eye. Blood pooled around him like an anemone's tendrils. His eyes glowed an even gold. He didn't flinch at the onslaught of the red liquid, a shiver ran through Shirayuki as she opened her gills to breathe the water once again. He was sometimes so careless and fun, she forgot how Obi was an immortal killer.

Shirayuki's dagger zipped towards the fray, interrupting her thoughts. It zipped through the monster's gills, and the monster stopped thrashing.

As it began to sink, Obi pulled his weapon free. He pushed his hand down, and the current shifted downwards, drilling the monster into the ground below. Zen moved his arms from the left to the right, and a wave of sand buried the body, until all that was left was a few patches of blood.

Shirayuki caught her breath, then smiled at Zen. "You've never breached before, have you?"

Zen shook his head, running his hands through his hair. This close to the surface, his tail caught the light of the moon and shimmered silver instead of gold. His white hair glowed almost fiercely. He was…in all truth, stunning. "It was…whoa."

Obi snorted as he swam towards them. "There's some humans on that boat, I'm sure. If you'd like, we could have another go – just to make sure they saw us."

Shirayuki blinked. "Are you being sarcastic?"

Obi grinned, then suddenly made for the surface.

"Oh, wait for me!" Zen laughed, following the Sharkman.

Shirayuki shook her head as the two breached, watching their figures spin and twirl as they flew through the air, then dive back for the ocean.

* * *

The rest of the journey was pretty uneventful. As they traveled, Shirayuki had to admit that not only did she think of Zen as a friend, she thought the same of Obi. A human and a Sharkman, one she wanted dead and the other she wasn't even sure was real; two of her best friends. Go figure.

The final night, they made camp and Obi popped an odd question. "Zen, can you sing?"

Shirayuki, who had already been trying to sleep, turned around on her side and stared at the Sharkman.

Zen had a mouthful of krill, which he was showing by having his mouth slightly open in shock. He made a forceful attempt to finish chewing and swallow. "Um, not really? I can keep time pretty well, but…"

Obi was shaking his head. "No, I meant do you have the siren gift."

Zen scoffed. "I highly doubt it."

"One way to find out." Obi nodded. "Let's hear what you've got."

Zen laughed. "I think I'll spare you that. I don't even know any Siren songs."

"You know the one Shirayuki used on you." Obi offered. "You can't have forgotten it, it's literally the words that made you run back to the sea when you were still human."

Shirayuki snorted, if only just to try and not feel too bad about that.

Zen frowned. He closed his eyes, and then started to hum the tempo of the Siren's luring song. _"This…is the Song of the Sea._

 _It sings to you and me._

 _It sings to all who feel lost._

 _And even those who feel found…."_

At this, Zen stopped. He held the last note evenly, slowly opening his eyes with a wince. "Sorry." He said. "I know that was bad."

Obi and Shirayuki exchanged shocked looks. "Bad?!" Obi finally exclaimed.

"Zen, you were amazing." Shirayuki reassured.

"You've got it! That's a Siren song, alright!" Obi hooted. "Oh, my Seas. I'm so sad we didn't know this earlier."

Zen blinked. "No way. I can't sing. I've never been good at it."

"You're good enough to lure humans to their deaths." Obi nodded thoughtfully. "That must have come with the transformation. Isn't that awesome?!"

"No." Zen looked pale.

"Sorry, sorry. Bad wording." Obi raised his hand; placating. "But seriously, that's one of the mers best powers. He has the _Aigua_ and he can sing: he's literally the perfect guy!" Obi threw his head back and laughed, Zen buried his head in his hands, and Shirayuki smiled at that before closing her eyes and trying to sleep again.

* * *

And then the journey was over, and the new world waited. The mers weren't as jolly as they had been for most of this journey, and for good reason. Not even Zen, who was excited about going home, could look at the massive wall of a current in front of them and not feel anything but fear.

The current roared, a literal wall of moving ocean in front of them. The sound was so consuming, there seemed to be no other noise. Shirayuki couldn't even see through it. Rocks sat in a weird sort of border, uneven and in all shapes in sizes – like a little bubble holding back the water on the seafloor. If Shirayuki hadn't swam most of the ocean, she could have easily believed that she had reached the end of the world here.

Zen shivered. "Alright. I'm assuming this is the Circle of Tides. How do we do this?" He had to raise his voice to be heard.

Obi took a deep breath. "I can open an entrance for you, but that's all I can give you. The rest is up to you."

"Great." Zen leaned down and stroked Lioj's head.

Shirayuki stared at the surface, which was so froth with bubbles it looked like a layer of moonlight was trying to block the sky. "Look at the size of this. How big is this whirlpool?"

"Whirlpool _s._ " Obi corrected. "The Circle of Tides isn't just a single vortex. To get to the middle, you will have to try and swim straight until you reach the 25th pool. There, let yourselves be separated by the current, meet in the middle and kiss."

Both mers looked at Obi sullenly.

Obi turned to stare at them, a sad smile on his face. "Yes, this is goodbye. For now, Shirayuki." He turned to Zen, then held out his hand.

Zen clasped it, then pulled Obi in for a hug. "It's been…well, you know."

Obi laughed and clapped him on the back. They released each other, and Obi patted Zen on the shoulder. He turned to Shirayuki. "You'll be home again soon."

Shirayuki fought back tears. Mers did not often cry – there wasn't much point under the water, tears were just pulled away basically as they left the eye. But still, Shirayuki had to swallow a sob. She stared at the ocean, at her home. She took a deep breath of salt, then reached out and threw her arms around Obi. _"Thank you."_ She whispered in Mermish.

Obi hugged her back. _"Be strong, fight for your home. For us. And come back safe."_ Obi pulled himself free and moved towards the whirlpool. He got so close, the tide pulled on his hair and forced it up and to the side gently, giving him quite the hairdo. He brandished his spear.

Lioj moaned, and Shirayuki gasped, ducking down to lie on his back like she had done for so many weeks when she was paralyzed.. "Oh, thank you, Lioj! You've been so great, one of my best friends. Tell me you'll come get me when I return?"

Lioj grumbled agreeably, then wrapped his wings around Shirayuki. He then flipped free and did the same to Zen.

"Aw, be good, boy." Zen said, rubbing his hands down the manta's wings.

Lioj then let them go, and swam back a few paces, looking despondent.

Obi flicked his spear, what little sunlight broke through the surface catching the blade. "Are you ready?"

Shirayuki and Zen exchanged a glance. Zen reached over and grabbed her hand. "Together?"

Shirayuki pursed her lips, then nodded, curling her own fingers around his palm. "Together."

Obi spun his spear, eyes glowing. With a battle cry, he stabbed his weapon into the wall.

The roar was as if he had actually just stabbed a monster and it was howling in pain. But sure enough, the _Aigua_ whipped to life, holding the Sharkman in place and literally pulling apart the current.

"HURRY!" Obi roared, his teeth clenched and sharpening into those of a Great White's.

Zen and Shirayuki lunged for the tear, which was pouring out currents wildly, pressing them back. They both summoned the _Aigua_ under their tails, and Shirayuki had never kicked harder in her life.

Zen lifted his free hand forward, Shirayuki did the same. Together, they dove straight into the rip.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey y'all. So! It finally happened. After this chapter, we are officially, Above Surface. And I have officially moved back into my college dorm for my junior year. To get really real with you all, as I feel like I do poor my heart into my writings, I want to explain a little about this chapter.**

 **I've never particularly had a hard time writing in ether Zen or Shirayuki's perspective. But this time, god, writing through Zen's eyes was a challenge. Full honesty: I didn't really wanna come back to college. Last semester absolutely broke me, in all ways. I think the only thing that kept me from flunking out or just dropping it all and refusing to come out of my bed was keeping up the basic body schedule you're actually supposed to do; exercise for at least 30 mins every day, eat your veggies and fruits, and keep up with your friends (not sleep, who needs that?). So, I spent this summer trying to forget and trying to rest, which I very much got a lot of healing done! But I still have scars, and I don't want...I just don't want another repeat. While I was healing, I just kept going in circles over whether or not I would come back.**

 **And then I found out when I voiced my opinion to my parents - they were horrified to find out that I was thinking about quitting. My mom and dad never got their degrees, and both wish they had. My mom literally said she "wouldn't let me end up like her". Although, I think that's crazy as my mom makes 100,000 + annually, but I digress. I always thought my parents had my back, and they really still do. I don't mean to write them as life controlling crazy parents, they're honestly the best. Heck, they paid for these past two years for me! And I do really love Potsdam, I love all my friends and I love laughing til I cry with them over stuff. The classes can be super fun and I like all the freedom I get here. So it wasn't like I absolutely want to be out of here 100%, as if that was the case I know my parents would let me. But since I'm hesitant, they're jumping on that and pushing at my love for Potsdam.**

 **I didn't cry when my parents first dropped me off in my dorm in the summer of 2016. I cried the moment my dad finished helping me get my suitcases in my dorm 3 days prior to writing this.**

 **And so! Before this gets way to serious and sad and I start to cry about it again, what Shirayuki feels in this chapter is all coming from what I feel right now. That's an amazing thing about writing, I can take all my emotions and throw them at poor innocent characters who did nothing wrong. I, like Shirayuki, also want to get my tail back and swim to the bottom of the sea.**

 **I'm super sorry for this hideously long intro and that little sob story, but I wanted to explain why this chapter might feel a little off. It's hard to edit all your emotions, but I did my best.**

 **I hope you enjoy, please don't worry about me if you are that lovely person who will, and remember, review.**

* * *

Shirayuki threw her body weight forward, pulling herself as far up the rock as she could. Water dripped from her chin, running down every inch of her body onto the rock below her as she caught her breath. The air stung her throat, but she ignored it and straightened. She curled her fin and slithered back and forth until she was at the tip of the rock. What she saw made her gulp.

Zen surfaced below, grabbing the rock but making no moves to climb it as she had. He brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Well?" He gasped.

Shirayuki looked back at him. The night air was cold around her and she shivered. "It's the last one."

Zen groaned and let himself slip back underwater for a second.

This was one of the four breaks they had managed during their long and hard day. Calling the hours they had spent powering through the Circle of Tides was nothing short of pure physical torment.

After Obi had opened them a way through the first whirlpool, the two mers had immediately been swept to the side. Together, they managed to power through it, and then found themselves in the first of many tide pools. Where the ocean was moving, but it was easy enough to hold still. And this is where the rocky outcroppings grew as well. However, navigating the pools to these tiny spots took incredible effort. Zen and Shirayuki had to keep stopping for breaks, so of course the full moon was high by the time they had reached this spot.

Shirayuki slumped against the rock. She could feel the vibrations of the pools against the outcropping, but that wasn't all. This entire place thrived with magic energies. When she checked her pearls, she found them just glowing with reaction. After assuring Zen they wouldn't explode, she had no choice but to let them radiate like they were.

Speaking of magic, her knife sliced free of the water and hovered in mid-air, as if on guard.

Zen laughed wearily. "At least one of us still has energy."

Shirayuki huffed and slid down the rock until her fin tips broke through the shaky surface. "Whenever you're ready."

Zen nodded. He ducked under the water and resurfaced, brushing his hair back to keep it out of his eyes. "Let's do this."

Shirayuki dove over Zen's head and back into the water. Zen splashed after her clumsily, and they charged into the last whirlpool.

Bubbles exploded around Shirayuki's body as she forced her way through. Her ears popped, but at that point she was so used to it the shock only caused her to blink. The sound was horrible, as if a million rocks were scraping against iron. It echoed in her head and made her teeth jitter. But this last whirlpool, there was something odd about it.

Zen and Shirayuki glanced at each other through the current, which suddenly began to hum – proper hum. Shrayuki's pearls glowed so strongly they shone through her purse. Zen blinked at her, and Shirayuki nodded. "I hear it too!" She shouted. She jumped as her knife began to wobble rapidly, as if it was having a seizure. She started to reach for the handle, but then the current intensified.

Zen gasped as something shoved him away. He slipped by, so fast Shirayuki blinked and he was flying by her.

"Zen!" Shirayuki practically had to scream over the hum. She reached for his wrist, when suddenly a white flash blinded Shirayuki. "Ah!" She cried, lifting her arms to defend herself. In that lapse of concentration, the current grabbed her and shoved her away swiftly.

The light wasn't fading, but no impact was reaching Shirayuki. Plus, through the blinds of her eyelids, Shirayuki could tell the light was flickering. Cautiously, she opened her eyes in slits.

All she could see was an endless rainbow of colors. They were blinding, but also enchanting. Blues to reds, yellows to purples, some of them Shirayuki couldn't name or describe. The current kept pressing against her tail, and she grunted as she tried to free herself from the current's grip. Panic was pressing at her chest, but Shirayuki tried to summon the _Aigua._ The current hissed, but she managed to propel herself upwards in that lapse. Her head broke the surface within seconds. The air was filled with the salt of the sea, the spray was so great. Out here, at least the light wasn't as blinding.

"Zen!" Shirayuki tried calling out. She couldn't stop herself from slowly spinning, pushing downwards to the center of the pool; but she could keep her head above the water. "Where are you?!"

There was nothing but the roar of the sea, until Shirayuki heard something. It was very faint, but it sounded a little like her name.

Shirayuki tried to scan the whirlpool as she floundered, cursing Zen's white hair. "Zen!" She tried again.

This time, she for sure heard his voice.

She started to swim against the current, wanting to stop her descent, and she felt something like an electric shock. Not like she had recently experienced with the eels, but just a slight jar in her bones. Like she had just brushed the tendril of a jellyfish. Combined with the current, the small jolt was enough to send her backwards, her head back under the water. She took a breath of salt water, blinded once again and trying to regain her bearings.

"Shirayuki!" She heard Zen shout.

"Zen!" Shirayuki called out. She was grateful for that pin the pod had given her, it held all of her hair up in a tight bun nicely. This had been a lifesaver in the water. She almost struggled against the current again, but then she remembered the jolt and stopped.

Shirayuki bit her lip. She couldn't fight the current, so…

The point of the whirlpool, the very last whirlpool, was a tight spiral that didn't even seem like Shirayuki could fit in it. But she remembered her instructions.

She took a few breaths. "Okay." She forced her tail to relax, and let the _Aigua_ go.

The whirlpool took her so fast it made her choke on air. She was under the water again. She closed her eyes against the light, and curled up. She hoped that Zen would meet her in the middle: that she wouldn't be spinning around for eternity, alone and surrounded by magic.

After only a few moments, Shirayuki found her head broke the water again. She opened her eyes, water dripping off her nose and down her cheeks like tears.

Zen was staring at her, his blue eyes wide and panicked.

They were still moving, but they were at the bottom of the pool, stuck spinning so tightly and so close Shirayuki could feel his breath.

Zen took a shaky breath, then gave her an apologetic smile. He started to reach for her, but hesitated. He tried to say something, but Shirayuki couldn't hear it.

The fear was bubbling in her chest. This was really it. This was her goodbye to her home. Real tears leaked from her eyes – she hoped Zen wouldn't tell that they weren't just from the sea. Still, she reached forward with both hands and gathered Zen's shirt in her fists. She yanked him into her, closing her eyes just before his lips met hers.

While power and strength flooded through her, a sense of calm and a soothing presence floated across her physical body like a wave, she still cried.

 _Goodbye._

* * *

When Zen woke up, it was because a seagull was poking at his arm.

Zen's vision wasn't quite right, he was seeing double. But as he blinked, it cleared and steadied. The seagull saw that he was awake, and gurgled with alarm, spreading its wings and flying over him.

For a minute, Zen just lied there. Staring at where the seagull had been. He was lying on his back in some hot sand. He was staring at a partially soaked brown rock. Around his bare feet, he felt the foam of the sea supporting him. Waves were licking at his soles.

That experience made his entire body tense. He had feet! He wiggled his toes!

Toes!

A smile broke over Zen's face, then made him wince. His lips were severely chapped and dried out.

While yes, the water felt good on his feet, he became more aware of a lot more unpleasant sensations around him. The sand was burning, the sun felt as if it was actually tearing his skin apart, he was severely dehydrated. His head was pounding, and he was sore all over. There was also sand between his butt cheeks – never a pleasant sensation.

With a huff, Zen pushed himself into a sitting position. This discarded sand from practically every inch of his body, but also pushed more into the space between his butt cheeks, and he was not enjoying that. He coughed weakly. He still had the white shirt on, although it didn't do its job as well as it had when it was soaked. It felt more like dried seaweed.

Zen stumbled to his feet. His legs shook, but he couldn't stop staring at them. They were much paler than the rest of his body, but they were his _legs_. He had to smile again. He stumbled and leaned on the rock, his hair hanging down in front of his eyes. The Prince took a few quick breaths to get his composure back. He pushed off the rock, and managed to get his legs back in order. He walked around in a small pace, before deciding he couldn't take the sand a minute more.

The ocean looked as distant as it had ever been, as if Zen had never met it.

He stumbled back into the water. The sand around his feet quickly turned into clay, and he relished the feeling of his feet getting sucked into the freezing mud. He stopped about waist level, the slight rises of waves slapped against his stomach. Zen scooped some of the cool water into his palms and scrubbed himself all over. He ducked his head under the water and pulled it back out with a gasp of air. As the water around him fell from his hair, he hurriedly checked his neck.

He couldn't feel any gills. He looked at his forearms, which had slight white marks where the extra fins he had gotten from the _Aigua_ once were.

Sure enough, there was not a scale on Zen's body.

He still had the necklace the pod had given him, and he was glad to see it looked as if it functioned just as well outside of water than inside of the water. He let it drop, and looked around the shore again.

He had washed up in a small cove, surrounded by high cliffs of uneven rocks, each layer a different shade than the last. It looked climbable, with the top of the cliff holding high stalks of yellow grass invitingly swaying in the slight breeze.

But Zen pursed his lips and brought his eyes down to the cove again. He stripped off his shirt and instead curled it tightly above his waist, covering his privates. "Shirayuki!" He couldn't really raise his voice, but he tried two more tries before realizing he would need some sort of water in order to actually clear his vocal cords.

He stumbled back to the hot sand, climbing the rock and looking around, shading his eyes.

But it was pointless. Shirayuki wasn't with him.

* * *

Shirayuki woke up on her side some hours after Zen had. She wasn't lying in a cove, she was on the edge of a beach. Her back was pressed against a burning hot stone, her arm and side almost completely buried. Luckily, the tide was coming in. The light was orange – it was already sunset. She tried to feel for her fin, but instead her toes curled.

She jolted and blew out a breath of air. Slowly, she sat up. Her butt slipped into the sand, she felt burned and her skin was definitely darker. In this light, it was impossible to tell if she had been tanned or just burned. Her hair fell down across her face in dry wisps. Shirayuki grabbed a few, ignoring the hard pull on her skin. She ran her fingers through the strands. They were smooth and soft, but very frazzled. She pulled her fingers through her hair, stretching out her arm towards the sea. Her arm fins were gone, thin white lines sitting in their place on her skin looking like scars. Her legs were…were so weird! Her skin was mottled, bumpy even. She shivered, feeling cold.

At least she still had the ocean on her. The froth left bubbles of sand and pockets of air dripping along her upper legs. Seagulls cawed, sounding so much louder without the barrier of the surface to block them.

Shirayuki felt along her neck, but she had no gills. Not a scale on her.

She pulled herself free from the sand's grip, trying to actually stand. She couldn't seem to keep her feet underneath her. Tears pulled at her eyes, and once again they were so much worse Above Surface. Her chest felt tight as she fell onto her knees, splashing into the water.

The sound of the water made her heart ache.

The light was blinding on her eyes.

And the tears that ran down her cheeks burned.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello all! A much happier me doing the intro to this chapter. I'm sorry for the sob fest last chapter, things are still pretty rough but I'm at least feeling a little better now that I've been slipping into the flow of the semester. Thank you for your kind words, they meant a lot. But away from all of that, welcome to Above Surface! This chapter went all over the place, not gonna lie. Also I'm taking suggestions for a name of a certain character in this chapter! Without spoilers, I'm talking about the flying character in this chapter. Haha, alright. Not much else to say, except thank you, and remember, review!**

* * *

Shirayuki was not sure how long she sat there, watching the sun slowly sink and the sky change. Her tears eventually stopped; she had never cried that much in her life - she was sure. Her eyes burned and her skin felt unnatural under her eyes. The little bumps on her legs also included shivering, so she figured it must be a sign of cold. However, she didn't want to let the sea go just yet. So she endured it and sat, the tide washing back and forth across her.

That's when the pelican arrived. It flew overhead, making her gasp and cower as the shadow befell her. She knew of pelicans, of course. But she had never been close to one. Birds were a lot scarier out of the water, where they had full control of the wind.

The pelican cawed down at her.

That made Shirayuki look up. She could understand sea creatures, but flying creatures that also belonged to the sea? They were in a strange gray area. Shirayuki had a basic idea of what they were _trying_ to tell her – at least most of the time. This pelican seemed to want to help her.

Her suspicions were proven correct when the pelican landed besides her. It made a big show of refolding its large wings, and brandishing its huge gullet. Shirayuki had to laugh at that. "Why, thank you." She responded. As she was pretty sure that the pelican was complementing her hair.

The pelican waddled in a circle then blinked at her with soft eyes.

"I can't. I'm not a human, I'm a mermaid."

The pelican squawked and backed up.

"It's true!" Shirayuki lifted one of her legs. "I don't know how to stand."

The pelican shuffled closer.

"It's a long…long, story." Shirayuki sighed. Another wave washed over her skin, stinging slightly thanks to the salt.

The pelican made an odd croaking noise.

"I-I'm sorry? Did you just tell me to cover myself?" Shirayuki looked down at herself. She still had her shirt on, what else was she supposed to cover?

The pelican moved it's weight from one foot to the other.

"Oh!" Shirayuki suddenly felt very embarrassed and put her hand over the space between her legs. "Well, thank you for telling me. You seem to know a lot about the humans."

The pelican held its head a little higher.

"Really? Can you teach me, then?"

Zen found Shirayuki later on that night when he heard soft singing. He grinned as he rounded a bank and saw the mermaid sitting on a rock, her hair styled differently. The bulk of it was down, and it was curling up. She had twisted two pieces on the side of her face and pinned them back with the pearl encrusted clip she had received Below Surface. The tide had come in, surrounding the rock she was sitting on. Her toes were in the water, and she had altered her mossy shirt to be a half dress of shorts, covering her one shoulder and reaching down to the middle of her thighs. She was staring at the full moon, which seemed closer, and singing the luring song she had first sung to Zen, weeks and weeks ago.

" _The Song of the Sea, it sings to you and me._

 _It sings to all who feel lost._

 _And even to those who feel found."_

Zen was surprised to find himself humming along softly. He stopped though, realizing that this was a kind of version he hadn't heard before. It was slower – and there was something reluctant about it. As if the song didn't want to work. It also didn't seem to hold as much power – or that could have simply been because of Zen, as he wasn't affected by Sirens anymore.

Shirayuki paused to take a breath. As Zen got closer, he realized that Shirayuki had a pelican in her lap. Not the strangest sight he had seen in the past few weeks, but it still made him blink. The pelican had its eyes closed, its huge beak still.

Shirayuki continued to sing.

" _The Song of the Sea lists left and right._

 _The tone is never quite right._

 _It speaks of love and lost."_

Zen took a quick breath and walked forward, singing as well.

" _And it speaks of danger and the urge to fight for a cause."_

He felt his cheeks heat up at the sound of his own voice. Shirayuki had sung right along with him, not even hearing him he sang so quietly. He had the biggest urge to be louder, to really call out to the mermaid with his voice. He was too nervous and embarrassed to join again nonetheless, until he thought about how it was only fair that he got Shirayuki's attention with his song – since she had done the same to him.

" _Soon you will feel to sing the Song of the Sea,_

 _Right here with me._

 _In my arms I'll cradle you forever,_

 _Right where we both belong."_

As Zen got closer, Shirayuki started to look around. The pelican on her lap stirred with a low clucking that Zen could barely hear over the ocean around them. The water rushed between his toes, a feeling that still made him take a deep breath in appreciation.

" _This is the Song of the Sea._ "

Zen started the next verse first. Shirayuki stopped and jumped. The pelican hopped free of her lap and stared at him. Shirayuki stood as well, turning to face him with a shock and relief written clearly across her face and in her green eyes. He had to smile at her expression, although he was blushing mightily.

" _I want to keep you forever,_

 _Until the moon fades away and until the stars vanish into nothing._

 _Right here with me._

 _Right where we both belong._

 _The Song of the Sea._

 _It sings to you and me._

 _It lists left and right, the tone is never quite right."_

Zen made it to the base of the rock, and lifted his hands towards Shirayuki. He wasn't sure where he was getting the words, as he had never heard the song in full before.

Shirayuki smiled and grabbed his hands. She joined him in the last few lines.

" _And together, we shall be_

 _Singing the Song of the Sea._

 _Just you and me."_

They held the last note, until Shirayuki had to laugh.

Zen smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, that was really bad."

"Bad? Zen, you have the Siren's gift!"

Zen shook his head and let go of her hands. "I'm glad you're okay."  
Shirayuki knelt and brushed her hair back, wiping her face. "I'm glad you're okay, too."

Zen wiped one of her tears. "I'm sorry I couldn't find you earlier. I hope you didn't think I abandoned you."

Shirayuki shook her head. "You wouldn't."

Zen smiled. "No, I wouldn't." He agreed.

The pelican squawked and shook its wings out at Zen.

Zen stared at it. "Uh…what's with the bird?"

Shirayuki laughed. "He helped me learn how to walk."

Zen blinked. Then he snorted. "Okay, sure. Ready to come down now?"

Shirayuki looked out above Zen, over towards the land. The mountains behind them were dark masses blocking the millions of stars. Beyond them, they didn't know what awaited.

But she grabbed Zen's hand and gently stepped off the rock, her ankles slapping into the water. "I suppose."

* * *

Zen led Shirayuki into a small fishing town. The hard wooden docks were uncomfortable under her bare feet, and she felt like she was purely dripping sand everywhere. Even though it was the dark of the night, humans milled about everywhere. Lights hung in lanterns and smelling awful illuminated the docks, although people were still shouting as they bumped into one another.

Shirayuki lunged for Zen's arm and wrapped herself around it tightly. "There's so many." She whispered.

Zen squeezed her hand. "Don't worry." He whispered. "Stick close to me, we just need to find a place to spend the night."

Shirayuki's pelican squawked. She turned, still holding Zen's arm. "I'll meet up with you again tomorrow morning." She promised him.

The pelican blinked, then spread its wings and took off into the night. Shirayuki watched it fly over the ocean, her mouth parting with want.

Zen tapped her hand sympathetically. "Come on, we need to find a place to sleep."

Shirayuki nodded numbly and clung to him so tight she thought he must be in pain. But Zen didn't say anything, just held her fingers and lead her past men with odd white things between their lips, a foul smelling odor rising from their glowing ends. They moved past a field of lifeless fish, and into the actual streets of a town. Shirayuki felt grateful for the dimness of the world, as she wasn't sure she could take it in the full light of the day.

She eventually minimized her focus to just where she put her feet. Zen never let go of her, and soon Zen halted her. "Here. Let's try here."

Shirayuki looked up to a building. The walls were white, peeling, and brown X shaped pieces of hard wood seemed to be holding up the entire structure. Lights held by black lines of who knew what shimmered, illuminating a old wooden sign with words carved into it.

"'The Shimmering Sea'." Shirayuki read.

"You can read English?" Zen blinked at her, speaking softly.

Shirayuki looked up at him. His blue eyes seemed the only familiar thing, even the sky was much closer than she was used to. "Yes. Is this a joke?"

"It's the closest inn I can find." Zen looked offended. "I would never make a pun."

Shirayuki stared at him. "I'm going to punch you."

Zen laughed and opened the door with a heave. He looked at her to enter first, but Shirayuki shook her head sharply. "No, after you." Her voice shook.

Zen nodded in understanding and stepped up the stair into the inn.

Shirayuki followed.

Inside, the inn was small. The living room had the softest fabric Shirayuki's toes had ever felt – which probably wasn't saying much as she hadn't stepped on many things yet. The inn smelled faintly of some kind of herb – something sharp and something sweet blending to make a fragrance that her muscles relaxed too. The lights were brighter, and they didn't smell this time. She had no idea how they worked, but she wasn't exactly willing to find out just yet. A few paces away there was a long desk with holes in the wall behind it. Then there was a something that must have been a seating arrangement a little ways away as well.

Zen tapped Shirayuki's hand. "Will you sit over there for a few minutes?"

Shirayuki took a deep breath. "Yeah, sure." She slid off of Zen's arm, and forced herself to move away. She sat down on one of the chair's softly. The cushion practically melted underneath her and she had to relax. It was like a seaweed bed, only with her head facing up. There was a sharp _ding,_ and Shirayuki looked up in surprise.

Zen smiled at her, and pointed to a little silver bell that was vibrating slightly.

"Oh." She mumbled, nodding.

A woman ran out, her shoes clicking on the floor. "Goodness me, it's far too late to take any patrons now." The woman had her hair in a high bun, and wore an odd dress with patterns…flowers? Shirayuki almost fell out of the chair she was trying so hard to see the dress.

The woman caught her looking and pursed her lips.

Shirayuki straightened and looked away, instead running her hand up the long pole that held the strange light. It was curved…metal, but not iron, otherwise Shirayuki would have avoided it like dodging a Great White.

"Ma'am, I am terribly sorry to have to impose on you at this late hour." Zen said, waving his hands apologetically. "I know we may not look it, but if you can grant us a room for the night, I can have you paid back in-"

"Pardon?" The woman interrupted. Which made Shirayuki scrunch her eyebrows in disapproval. That was rude. But the woman kept speaking. "I cannot give you a room if you do not have a reservation or at the very least some pay up front."

Zen was nodding. "I understand. But ma'am, you are the only inn in this town. Please, it would only be for tonight, and again – I _will_ get you your pay back, with interest."

"All due respect, but that is simply heresy. You cannot promise me anything, especially when you are dressed half naked in my lobby."

Shirayuki was starting to dislike this woman more and more.

"Ma'am, I apologize profusely for my state of undress." Zen dipped his head. "However, let it just be a statement to my troubles. We would both appreciate it if you just supplied us with one room-"

"Absolutely not!" The ma'am shook her head. "Sir, I would request that you please leave."

Shirayuki stood. "Are all humans this rude?"

The ma'am looked over at her in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

Zen put a hand out her way. "Shirayuki-" He warned.

Shirayuki walked over to the desk. "He asked you politely, and you are insulting him?"

"This is not a place for vagrants like you." The woman held her chin high, though there seemed to be a slight quiver in her lips, as if she was afraid.

Shirayuki looked at Zen. "What's a vagrant?"

"I'll tell you later." Zen looked back to the woman. "Please, is there no way you would show us some mercy?"

"Get out of my inn." The woman responded.

"Honestly!" Shirayuki rolled her eyes.

The woman leaned forward. "I'll have you know that this is my home as well as my business. I have children that need protecting. I have a household to run and hotel guests to protect."

"To protect from their own Prince?" Shirayuki shook her head.

Zen stiffened, and she immediately wished she hadn't said that.

The woman stopped. "Prince?" The woman turned very slowly, and looked at Zen up and down, impending horror slowly stretching over her face. "Prince." She repeated. "You…You are Prince…Prince Zen!" The woman covered her mouth and tears watered in her eyes. She stepped back rapidly. Shirayuki was impressed that she could recognize Zen that quickly.

Zen took a breath and looked down. "Please, I'll ask you to keep my presence quiet."

"But you-you've been missing for-for weeks!" The woman ran around the desk and to Zen's side, stopping and grabbing her dress. Shirayuki tilted her head at how she pulled the skirt out to the side, dipping down by sliding her leg behind her other leg across the floor.

"Please, ma'am. No need for that."

The ma'am rose and wiped her eyes. "Where on Earth have you been? Who is this beauty?" She regarded Shirayuki.

Shirayuki blinked at the sudden change in attitude.

Zen waved a placating hand at the woman. "Please. I will supply you with all your answers if you just give us a place to stay, and keep our presence on the downlow."

"Anything, you're Highness!" The woman reached over and hovered her hands over his face, eyes watering over and tears spilling down her old cheeks. "We've missed you, so, so much."

Zen's eyes flashed with impending tears. He grabbed the woman's hand and kissed it. "It has pained me to be away, as well."

Shirayuki felt as if she was watching this exchange from across the room. She suddenly felt extremely, sullenly guilty.

* * *

The room that Gladys had provided them was at the uppermost floor. The rom had one Queen sized bed, a giant window that the moon peered into, and a slanted roof. There was another door for the bathroom, which almost made Zen cry – seeing a real toilet with a real bath and a pump for a bath – oh it was too much.

Gladys promised to speak to nobody of their presence and refused to hear Zen even speak of repayment. She lied fresh clothes on their bed. "A nightgown and a dress for tonight and tomorrow." She told Shirayuki, who looked on blankly but attentively. "And some undergarments my daughter left here before she went to university. Proper pants and a shirt from my husband's old collection." She said, patting down the clothes. "Please, sleep well."

As soon as she left, Zen grinned and ran at the bed. He leaped into the air, and fell flat onto the mattress. The mattress springs creaked in surprise and protest and tossed him slightly up again, before he flipped around and landed on his back with a happy laugh and a sigh.

"Um, am I supposed to do that too?" Shirayuki half laughed.

Zen squeezed one of the pillows, hugging the downy feathers close to his chest. "Only if you want to." He breathed, relaxing. Then he sat up, not allowing himself to get too comfortable. "I'm going to take a long, hot bath. Would you like one?"

"I…I don't know what that is." Shirayuki sat down on the bed in a heap, pulling at one of the dresses blankly.

Zen's heart went out to her. He leaned towards her and grabbed her shoulder. "Are you doing alright?"

Shirayuki thought.

"I know it's a lot, but –"

"I'm so sorry." She interrupted him.

Zen blinked. "Why?"

Shirayuki took a shaky breath. "When you lost your legs…I was cruel. I was harsh and mean and awful, and I didn't help you. I let you flounder around on your own. And you…you've done the opposite for me."

"Oh." Zen leaned back, letting go of Shirayuki's shoulder. "I-"

"I'm so sorry, Zen. I now know what you felt like, and I've grown to know you so much and I've seen that you're one of the most amazing people I've ever met and-"

"Okay!" Zen laughed, cutting her off. "You're going to make me blush. You're just as wonderful a person as me, if not even more."

Shirayuki scoffed. "I treated you like scum."

"And then you treated me like a friend. That's all I could ever want from you."

Shirayuki shook her head. "Just accept my apology and be done with it!"

Zen laughed, but he felt a warm blush at his cheeks and a little embarrassed. "Apology accepted, and you're welcome."

Shirayuki sighed with relief and nodded.

* * *

Zen fell asleep faster than Shirayuki. She was lying on the opposite end of the bed, too scared to be embarrassed over sharing the "mattress". The blankets were smoother than the back of a dolphin, and she clutched them tightly to her chest. Zen snored softly which was a little surprising. Gills didn't snore like human lungs did. But Shirayuki didn't mind, she liked hearing that he was so close to her.

Zen muttered under his breath. She turned around to stare at his back. He was wearing something he called a "tank top", which was just a shirt without sleeves apparently. He seemed so relaxed, so at ease. Shirayuki had seen him sleep underwater – even then he was always so tense. Here, he was completely limp, truly relaxed.

Shirayuki sat up slowly. She didn't appreciate that the mattress was a little too comfortable, it made it really hard to not disturb Zen. But the Prince didn't falter in his snoring, so she sighed in relief and stood. She stared down at her legs. The nightgown had been a challenge at first, before Zen had told her through the closed bathroom door to just throw it over her head like she would a shirt. It hung down just before her knees, and was a lovely shade of pink.

Shirayuki gently walked around the room, touching the walls and trying to find some way to get herself to rest.

There was a gentle peck on the window.

Shirayuki jumped, then relaxed when she saw the familiar shape of her pelican friend. She struggled for a minute, before managing to open the window. The sea glimmered not too far away, and he croaked softly at her longing expression.

"I'm okay." She whispered. "Just…just a little overwhelmed."

The pelican tried to push its way into the room, but Shirayuki pressed a hand against the top of its bill and kept it back. "I don't want to wake up Zen." She whispered.

The pelican blinked at her.

"I'm here…it's a long story."

The pelican made a small whirring noise, fluffing it's feathers.

"Yes, I know I said that earlier." Shirayuki sighed. "Let's just say the fate of the ocean is at stake." Shirayuki thought she felt a whisper tickle her ear. Her eyes were drawn to the moon, which seemed to be staring right at her.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello all! We have quite a long chapter here! I'm doing a little better, besides the massive fever that had me stuck to my bed for literally all of last week. But the good news is that I got to read tons, which of course left me mad inspired! All I can really say for this chapter is = two nerds go out on a shopping dateeeeee! lol, not really. I actually have to give a small trigger warning as there is a mention of rape and I don't want anyone reliving anything so god awful. I've found that there's a big problem with updating the story as you go when it's this long - you think of things you should have added in earlier but forgot to. Oh well. I hope you like this chapter, I'll see you all soon, and remember, review!**

* * *

The next morning, Zen woke to a knock on the door. He blinked, wiping away the sleepiness from his eyes. He hadn't slept that good in weeks – literally. He rolled onto his back and sat up reluctantly.

Shirayuki was up already, pulling the dress Gladys had given her over her chest. Her back was bare – the dress was a little more complicated than the night gown last night. Her hair was down, and she was staring nervously at the door.

Zen blushed and looked away with a clear of his throat. "I'll get it, why don't you wait in the bathroom?" He swung his legs over the bed.

He heard a soft "okay" from Shirayuki and waited until he heard the bathroom door close before looking up. The sunlight was just beginning to slant in the room, it was probably just past dawn. Zen stretched and walked to the door, opening it carefully.

Gladys stood there, looking still shocked that he was the one who answered. "Oh, my Prince." She almost wept, her eyes tearing up. "I thought I may have been dreaming."

Zen held back his grimace. "Thank you, Gladys, for your hospitality to my friend and me. Without you, we would have slept in the streets."

"What a horrible thought." Gladys shook her head. She held out a black tray full of omelets, pancakes, and tea. "I made Your Highness breakfast. I am sorry it's not much."

Zen's mouth watered, and he blinked. "Your kindness surely knows no bounds." He grasped the handles from Gladys, who gasped when their fingers brushed. "Thank you, again."

"If you need anything, you just ring the bell on the tray and I'll come running!" She promised, gathering her skirts and bowing. "I did not tell anyone of your arrival, as promised. I will see you later." She then hurried off, which Zen smiled after her until he pulled back into the room. He put the tray down on a dresser, then closed the door. He wished that he could have kept his identity a secret from everyone, but it as for the best in the end. Without his title, he probably wouldn't have been able to get them a place.

Shirayuki emerged from the bathroom, her hair pulled up into a ponytail and sealed with the clip she had received from Below Surface. "What is that?" She asked, staring at the tray of food.

Zen didn't answer for a moment. Shirayuki was wearing a sturdy blue dress with green highlights throughout it. A collar wrapped around her neck gave way to two straps formed in an X over the top of her chest, reaching down to then hold the rest of the fabric. The sleeves didn't start until her bicep, where they fanned out in attractive wrinkles. She was also wearing a pair of dark blue boots to match. She looked incredible.

Shirayuki tilted her head at him. "Zen are you okay?"

Zen shook himself. "Uh, yes. Sorry." He cleared his throat, pointing to each food. "These are called pancakes. These are omelets. And this holds a hot liquid called tea."

"Are they good?" Shirayuki walked over and sniffed the tray, blinking.

"Yes." Zen looked down, realizing he was still in his night clothes. "Just give me a moment to change and we can eat."

* * *

Shirayuki did not like pancakes, so Zen let her have the omelets while he had the pancakes instead. She did not eat them with a vigor like he did, but he was just glad she didn't hate the food. "It's good." She said, though it had unfortunately gotten a little cold thanks to the mini lesson Zen had to give her in forks and knives.

She also liked the tea, thankfully. "It's very calming." She said, holding the cup delicately.

"I'm glad you like it." Zen said. Now that he had dressed and washed himself, he was starting to feel like a real human again. However, that meant he desperately missed his sword.

"I had a dream last night." Shirayuki said suddenly.

Zen blinked and looked up at her.

"The Moon appeared to me. She said we should travel by night, not sleep during it." She mumbled.

Zen nodded slowly. "That's a good point. She's supposed to lead us and all, I guess she needs to actually be there for it to work."

Shirayuki put down the tea cup, looking sullen.

"Is that all?" Zen asked, blinking. "Seems like a sort dream."

"She also gave me warnings about the New Moon, where she can't be seen. We're already on the waning, which is bad, because the guide she gives us will lessen each day until she's waxing again."

Zen hummed. "I see."

"So, what should we do?"

Zen thought. "We really can't wait around for a whole month. We'll have to move towards the castle, starting tonight."

Shirayuki nodded. "Okay."

"But, today I need to get into town."

Shirayuki looked up at Zen. "Why?"

"We need supplies. At the very least, a horse would help. Looking at map on the wall last night, we're right on the border of Clarines. We must move towards the center, where Wistal Castle is. That's my home."

Shirayuki nodded. "Okay."

Zen reached out and grabbed Shirayuki's hand. "You should come with me into town."

Shirayuki flinched and pulled back her hand. "Um, no thank you. I don't want to go converse with humans."

"Not all humans are bad, and at least this way you can get used to them more." Zen coaxed. "Plus, you'll need more clothes, and I have no clue what size you are in human."

"And you think I do?" Shirayuki scoffed.

"It'll be miserable for you if you just sit here all day." Zen stood up. "Come on, trust me." He held out his hand.

Shirayuki hesitated. Then, with a sigh, she grabbed his hand and he hoisted her to her feet.

* * *

The town was a better place during the day. Last night, it had been rowdy and reluctant. Zen had spotted many thieves and poor people, all eying him and Shirayuki – scanning them for anything of value. Thankfully, they were half naked and had literally nothing worth bothering them about. And Zen had a good "wolf stare" – a glare that told people _however bad you think you are, I'm worse._

Now, in the daytime, the town bristled and bustled with life. A thriving sea port – not exactly, there were still deep pockets of sadness and desperation, but overall it was a much bigger improvement to last night.

Shirayuki clung to Zen's arm, which was fine by him. At the first shop, they had bought shawls and a map. These shawls gave them both hoods, and Zen had gone so far as to wrap a small bandana around the bottom of his face. He didn't want anyone else to recognize him. The shawls they had bought were light weight but blocked out the cold. Upon asking Gladys, he realized the date was already early September. The summer was ending, and so the cold of fall was beginning to creep up.

Zen then ducked into a clothing supplies shop, where he took Shirayuki through the aisles, trying to find her suitable wear. After about ten minutes of Zen getting nowhere, he passed her off to a helpful woman working at the store. He then bought his own hiking gear and extra clothing and waited by the doorway.

The Moon had done more than warn Shirayuki, She had given the mermaid a heap full of gold, sitting on the bedside table. It wasn't too much, but it was enough to buy everything they needed.

When Shirayuki finally emerged, Zen checked out for her, whispering to her under his breath. "Was that so bad?"

Shirayuki smiled at him ruefully. She hesitated, then gripped his hand. An improvement from sticking on his arm.

The cashier wiggled his eyebrows at Zen. "That's a lovely girlfriend you've got there."

Zen blushed. "Oh, we're not – um."

Shirayuki blushed as well but squeezed his hand tighter.

The cashier winked. "You two take good care now."

Zen rolled his eyes and pulled Shirayuki back out into the street, stopping her as a horse and carriage passed by.

"Is that a horse?" Shirayuki gaped. "They're huge!"

Zen nodded. "Some are smaller, but their called ponies."

"We're buying two of those?" Shirayuki made a sour face. "You shouldn't buy living things."

Zen smiled and nodded in agreement. "What can I say, we're primitive here Above Surface. Come on, we still need to get packs and weapons before the horses."

"I still have the dagger." Shirayuki whispered to Zen as they walked.

"Really?" Zen blinked, pulling Shirayuki towards him as a man hurried by, nearly knocking her over.

Shirayuki looked breathlessly around. "By the Seas, you have way too many humans."

Zen laughed and pulled her forward. "What happened to your knife?"

"It's still enchanted, don't ask me how." Shirayuki shrugged. "I found it inside my purse – or, that is to say, Tori found my purse and brought it to me last night. He said that- "

"Who's Tori?" Zen paused to slide between two people, saying; "Pardon me" as he did. Shirayuki was pulled through them as well, though they gave her gross looks for not letting go of his hand.

"Tori's my pelican friend."

"Oh, I remember him from last night." Zen nodded. "Is the dagger still enchanted?"

"Yes." Shirayuki almost laughed. "Don't ask me how."

"Well, at least we still have it." Zen paused, reading the signs atop a large pole. "It's this way."

"What else are you looking to buy? We still have the _Aigua._ "

That almost made Zen stop. He glanced back at Shirayuki, before pulling her across a street. "Do we?"

"I-I think so." Shirayuki blinked. "Doesn't it feel like it?"

Zen shrugged. "I can't really tell. I hope so." He smiled, pulling Shirayuki to his side. He was enjoying having her hand in his, if he was totally honest. She seemed to be calming down, although her palm was sweaty, and she shivered occasionally.

* * *

They found the weapons store. Zen bought a bow and arrows, and spent a long time deciding on a sword. None felt quite like his old one – they all felt unbalanced in his hand. Too long, too short, too flat, too curved. Shirayuki began to grow bored with him, but she just followed him silently until he finally just grabbed a sword he thought was the best fit in the store. As he bought it, he wondered what had happened to his old blade. He had it when he dove into the ocean, but he was naked minus the tail when he woke under the Surface.

Shirayuki insisted on carrying the bow. "It'll look weird if you're heavily armed, and I'm not." She murmured.

Zen couldn't argue with that logic. He helped her adjust the arrows, and then showed her how to wrap the bow around herself like a sash. She put it over herself with relative ease after watching him and adjusted her hood. With her glimmering green eyes and shawl, she looked like an assassin.

Zen doubted he looked any better, but there wasn't much he could do about it. He grabbed Shirayuki's hand and they started for their last stop – the stables.

However, when they began to walk, Zen's heart stopped.

A group of three men were walking by. There was nothing outwardly wrong with them, besides them looking a little battle worn. One had a bottle of booze by the neck and was leering at every girl that passed him. Another was humming to himself, his boots squelching as if they were wet. The final was clearly the leader. He wore a black hat and his hair was long, tied in braids down his back. He wore a big, blue overcoat and looked at each person that passed like they were his next victim.

Shirayuki ran into Zen. "Zen, what are you- "

Zen turned swiftly and covered her mouth. His heart was thudding wildly in his throat, his eyes burned, and fear made his toes tingle. "Sorry, please go with me on this." He whispered. As the group approached, he leaned over and pressed his lips over his hand covering Shirayuki's mouth, tilting their position so that they couldn't see his hand there.

Shirayuki's eyes were wide, studying his wildly, trying to see what he was doing.

Zen could feel her breath under his fingers, the way her lips slightly twitched in surprise. She reached her hand up and grabbed the sides of his shawl, pulling his head closer towards her by tugging on it.

Zen tried to relay his gratitude through his eyes – she _had_ caught on to what he was doing.

The men were taking their time, so Zen grabbed Shirayuki's waist with his free hand and gently rocked them. He was really selling it, as a few passersby gave them whistles. Zen waited until the men had officially walked by, then pulled his hand away and backed a pace away from Shirayuki. He adjusted his bandana, huffing out a breath of relief and pulling Shirayuki at a brisk pace in the opposite direction.

"Care to explain yourself?" Shirayuki demanded.

Zen would have blushed had he not been so nervous. "Sorry. Those three guys – they're part of the pirate crew that kidnapped me."

Shirayuki froze, pulling Zen back. "They were the ones who…?" Her eyes grew stormy. She started to turn, but Zen pulled on her hand and grabbed her shoulder.

"Don't. It's better if they don't notice me."

"Yes, but Zen, they could tell us who hired them." Shirayuki hissed. "We have a mission, don't forget."

Zen nodded. "I know. Shirayuki, we can't start anything right out here. If they're in this town, that means their ship must be too. We'll find it later, on our own. I don't want to follow them."

"But- "Shirayuki stopped, staring at his face. Hers lessened in sympathy. She squeezed his hand, pulling him to the side of the road, against a building. She reached out with her free hand and touched his cheek.

Zen jumped – he hadn't realized he had started to cry. Shirayuki wiped the tear that had been stopped by her finger. Zen reached up with his free hand and scrubbed his face. "Sorry, I-I don't know whats come over me."

"Zen." She said softly. "What did they do to you?"

The Prince shivered. "Not…Not here, okay?" Memories were trying to flood his mid, but he shoved them back. "Later."

Shirayuki nodded. A little unexpectedly, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his middle, resting her head against his chest.

Zen blinked, then wrapped his arms around her as well. "Thank you." He murmured into her hair.

She nodded soundlessly.

* * *

They entered the stables. Shirayuki was scared at first, but after feeding a gray colored horse a carrot she began to lessen up. Zen eyed a black Quarter Horse, who eyed him right back. Zen reached over the stall and the horse nuzzled his palm affectionately.

"What kind of horse is that?" He asked the stable boy, nodding to the horse Shirayuki was slowly petting, running her hand down the horse's long nose in wonder.

"That's an Anglo-Arabian." The little boy responded. It broke Zen's heart to see someone so small be put to work in a barn like this. "His name is River." The boy nodded to the horse currently sniffing Zen's fingers. "And that's Diamond."

Zen nodded, murmuring softly to Diamond. The horse picked up her ears and walked forward, nudging Zen's hand aside to then instead nudge Zen's shoulder. He laughed. He had always been good with horses. And Diamond reminded him of his stallion back at the Castle – Snowflake.

He patted Diamond on the cheek in temporary goodbye and moved over to Shirayuki. "Would you like that one?" He asked.

"I-I think so." Shirayuki nodded. "He's very friendly."

"Did you hear the boy? His name is River."

Shirayuki nodded. "River." She repeated, gently running her hand down the horse's neck.

Zen turned to the boy. "We'll take them."

Their horses awaited them in the stable until later that day, when they would retrieve them. But right then, they had a new mission – find the _Poisoned Rose_ at the port.

* * *

"Are you sure you feel ready for this, Zen?" Shirayuki asked.

Zen nodded. As they had walked through the town, Zen had talked instead about the basics of horseback riding – how it worked, where to sit, all of that. When Shirayuki asked about the pirates, the Prince had clamped up.

Shirayuki didn't want to press, but at the same time was desperate to know. She hadn't thought much of Zen's times with the pirates who kidnapped him and dropped him in the sea. From what she knew of most pirates, they didn't treat their prisoners kindly. It hadn't occurred to her until today when he saw his kidnappers that he might have been on the receiving edge of the pirates' full brutality.

This close to the Sea, Shirayuki felt a little better. She heard a caw and saw Tori flying high overhead. She grinned at the sight of her friend, but stayed close to Zen. The port was very similar to what it had been when it was night. Humans milled about, what seemed like hundreds of dead fish lining tables as more were charted in.

"Does that gross you out?" He asked.

Shirayuki studied the fish, squeezing his palm. "Not…really. The quantity is disturbing, but it smells delicious."

Zen smiled slightly at that. She could only tell because the skin around his eyes crinkled up.

Shirayuki thought her heart was going to stop when he had almost kissed her earlier. They had kissed plenty of times, more than she truly would have liked to admit. She wasn't sure why Zen's action had affected her so this time. Thinking about it made her ears hot.

As they walked, Zen's eyes scanned desperately. His palm was sweaty, so despite his earlier reassurance to her, he wasn't really alright. She tried to squeeze it. "You don't have to push yourself, you know."

Zen blinked in surprise at her, then cleared his throat and smiled. "I do. It's alright though. I'm just checking to see if the ship is even here. Pirates don't stay in one place for very long."

Shirayuki frowned at his answer but walked besides him. "Can you tell me about them, now?"

Zen sucked in a deep breath, eyes carefully on the horizon. The sea reflected in them, like a deep blue memory surfacing gently. "They…. stole me. I just remember hearing a noise like something ripping. That turned out to be my tent, which they were cutting open. I turned around, but before I could they knocked me out. The next thing I knew, I was in a barrel."

"A barrel?" Shirayuki blinked.

"One of those." He pointed with his chin at a cluster of slightly curved boxes. They looked incredibly small in comparison to Zen. "We were moving, and then suddenly I was rolling. I was dizzy, blindfolded, and then we were at sea. Someone pulled me from the barrel and they tied me out to the main mast of the ship, right in the sun. No one would tell me what was going on until a whole day had passed. Then the captain approached me…"

 _Zen felt the sting of the salt; the motion of the waves would have made him sick had he been allowed to eat. He had no water in a horribly long amount of time under the sun. He looked up as the Captain approached. He couldn't look him in the face, his head wouldn't lift, and his vision was doubled._

 _"Well, aren't ye a sight for sore eyes." The Captain drawled. "You know what happened to ya, matey?"_

 _Zen felt the prod of a sword tip in his side and winced. "You kidnapped me, duh." His voice was weak and cracked, but he still got his sarcastic tone across._

 _"You bet yer ass we did!" Another crew member hooted._

 _"The beloved Second Prince, Zen Wisteria." The Captain hummed as his crew cheered. "You weren't hard to capture."_

 _"You used dirty tactics, of course not."_

 _"Was that supposed to be an insult?" The Captain leaned his weight from one leg to the other._

 _Zen didn't bother responding. His head was killing him._

 _"Tch. We've got a good few days before we get rid of ya. Suppose we need to keep you alive til then."_

 _"Why not just kill me now?" Zen croaked. Half as a jab, half from curiosity._

 _"Well, we always good." The Captain put his sword under Zen's chin, forcing his head upwards. "But it's been a while since we've had such a pretty captive, why not have a little fun with ya?"_

Shirayuki stiffened. "Oh no, they didn't."

"They didn't – not all the way, at least." Zen shivered. They had reached the end of the docks, thankfully there was no sign of the ship. Zen and Shirayuki decided to sit at a more abandoned part of the town, feet dangling off the edge of the port. Beneath them, undisturbed sand was slowly scraped at by the high tide of the sea. It took a lot in Shirayuki to resist jumping down and running back to the ocean.

Shirayuki grabbed Zen's arm. "You didn't tell me any of this before."

Zen shook his head.

"What did they do to you?"

Zen sighed. "Took me below deck. They stripped me and whipped me, almost to the point of blood. But I fought back – they backed off a little more after that." He smiled, almost evilly. "The one crew member is probably still nursing the wounds I gave him."

Shirayuki nodded. "I should have sunk that ship after all."

Zen shook his head. "I don't think I'd wish that kind of death on anyone, no matter what." He looked at Shirayuki.

Shirayuki huffed in mock irritation. "Excuse me, what are you accusing me of?"

Zen smiled, clearly seeing her jokes. He nudged her shoulder. "Thanks."

Shirayuki felt an odd tingle in the base of her stomach. She dipped her head. "Anytime. If you ever need to talk to someone…about…about anything, I'll- "She was interrupted by a squawk and the arrival of a pelican.

Zen jumped, but Shirayuki smiled. "Good morning, Tori. How are you today?"

Tori ruffled his feathers.

Zen shook his head. "I can't understand what he's saying, how come you can?"

Shirayuki shrugged. "It's not really understanding, I just get a general idea of what he's trying to say." She stroked Tori's head gently. "Even with these legs, I'll always be a mer. But you're human."

Zen nodded. "Oh, I see."

They fell into comfortable silence, until Tori squawked in alarm and spread his wings, flying out to sea.

Shirayuki blinked.

"What was that about?" Zen asked.

"Probably us." A gruff voice said from behind them.

Zen and Shirayuki whirled around.

The three pirates were standing in front of them, sneering.

Zen had let his bandana fall while they were sitting here, trying to get some fresh air. He had totally forgotten to put it back, so when the pirate in the red coat drawled; "Prince Zen of Clarines. We meet again," he cursed.

"O-oh, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" The pirate drawled, drawing a small dagger. "I don't know how you escaped drowning, but that means we didn't do our job. You see the problem, don't you?"

Zen and Shirayuki scrambled to their feet. "I do." Zen muttered through clenched teeth. "It means your bad at your job."

The pirates cackled. "Still got that tongue on you. Better make sure we cut it out." The other two pirates pulled swords.

Shirayuki scanned left and right. There weren't any other humans around – of course. The one and only time she wanted to be near other humans, and there were none to be found.

"Oh, look at this! He's got a nice-looking girlfriend!" The pirate on the left hooted.

"Alright, we get to have some fun!"

Zen clenched his teeth. "Don't you touch her." He drew his new sword. "I'm not as defenseless as last time, and you don't have the rest of your crew." He grinned at the pirates, leveling the weapon at the group. "Let's see how well you can fare against me in a fair fight."

Shirayuki thought the threat was a bit overboard. She took a deep breath, feeling the tide push and pull. She felt the call of home, the power of the Sea return to her. She opened her eyes, green eyes glowing. As Zen stepped forward on the dock, she stepped back. She lifted her arms just in time for the time to come in.

With a roar, the newest incoming wave lifted, rising over the docks in a massive wave, easily three times the size of the biggest pirate.

The pirates gasped as the shadow of the wave curled over them. Two of them dropped their weapons, leaving them clattered on the ground. "What…. how in the…."

Zen jumped as he felt a drop of water hit his shoulder. He turned, looking at Shirayuki with surprise and…. admiration? He had been giving her odd looks like that all day.

She smiled at him. "What?"

She could see the glow of her green eyes in his blue as he grinned. He planted his sword tip between two of the planks beneath him, leaning on his sword casually. "Whenever your ready, boys."

The pirates turned tail and fled back into the city.

Shirayuki breathed out, letting the wave return to the sea just as it would if it wasn't hovering thirty fins above the ground. She dropped her hands as Zen turned and sheathed his sword.

"Thank you." He said.

She smiled. "I told you we still had the _Aigua_."

Zen grinned. "And thank goodness for that. You ready to head back?" He held out his hand.

Shirayuki nodded, feeling braver knowing she had the _Aigua._ She took his hand, but for her to lead him back into town.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello everyone! I hope you're all well! I'm feeling better, thankfully. In this chapter, we have the most random idea that has ever just come to me. I have a general layout of what's going to happen next in this story, but sometimes random ideas just grab me and refuse to be ignored. Hence, the majority of this chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Remember, Review!**

* * *

Gladys did not want to see them go. They snuck out as soon as the Moon had risen, just past dusk. The woman was waiting with a basket of food and extra supplies for the road. "Take it." She hissed. The darkness pressed against them, swallowing their voices and leaving nothing but the shadows and faint shapes.

Shirayuki took the basket, marveling at the hard strands of…she wasn't even sure what. They were twisted so tightly, it was incredible. Of course, they wove Below Surface as well. But nothing was ever this compact. Curiously, she stuck a nail between two of the strands.

"You've been too good to us." Zen dropped almost all of their remaining coins into her hands before she could argue. He turned around, a tad dramatic – Shirayuki thought. But even so, she flicked her hood up as well. She had braided her hair down her back, and she could feel it thumping against her back heavily. Out of the water, her hair was ridiculously long and heavy. She missed the Sea's gentle embrace, holding her hair for her.

Zen looked back as Gladys stammered. "Please, I insist you keep it. You will be rewarded for your kindness, I promise." He reached his hand out and gently grabbed Shirayuki's from the top of the basket, where she was wiggling her nail slightly. He pulled her hand free and they moved towards the exit.

"Goodnight, and safe travels."

"Thank you." Shirayuki whispered, feeling like she had to say something in return to the woman's whispered good wish.

Gladys winked at her, nodding towards Zen and Shirayuki's tangled fingers.

Shirayuki was grateful for the darkness, as it concealed her blush.

Outside, Thunder and River waited. They were tacked up, meaning that they wore saddles and reins to help steer them. Zen worked quickly. He tied the basket to the back of his saddle, where a bag full of camping gear was already waiting. Thunder shifted, but did not seem to mind the extra weight.

"They're so strong." Shirayuki marveled.

Zen nodded. "Ready?" He let go of her hand and she followed him to River's side. The horse blinked warmly at Shirayuki. Zen locked his fingers and created a small step for her. "Remember, try not to kick him."

Shirayuki swallowed. She felt an odd thrill, as she stepped into Zen's hand and braced her hands on the front and back of the leather saddle. Zen lifted her, and as she said she would she lifted her leg, swinging it over and using her momentum to settle into the saddle. "Whoa." She breathed. The world seemed so much smaller on top of River's back. The horse barely blinked at her weight.

"Good job." Zen said, brushing his hands off on his pants. He untied River, stroking the horse affectionately on the cheek. "Grab the reins. You don't have to pull, give him some slack."

Shirayuki nodded, gathering them in her hands. They held strange bumps along their sides, and her fingers found easy grip. River shifted underneath her, and she clutched with her knees. Zen had told her earlier that to ride you couldn't use the reins to stay on, it was all in the legs.

Since this was her first time with legs, Shirayuki figured she wouldn't be very good at riding. But the saddle was comfortable. She felt secure enough, with the giant handle right in front of her. Then again, they weren't moving right now.

Zen secured her feet in something he called "stirrups", which Shirayuki thought was a funny word. He searched her face.

She swallowed and nodded.

He smiled, then moved to his own horse. He untied Thunder, and hopped onto her back by relying on the post that had previously been holding the two steeds. He gathered the reins and made a small kissing noise. Thunder turned. "So, now what?" He asked Shirayuki.

Shirayuki, stiffening as River also turned to follow Thunder, barely heard him. "What?"

Zen waved ahead vaguely. "I don't suppose you know what's going to happen next."

Shirayuki blinked. "Um, no."

Zen sighed. He looked up at the sky, which was a purple mixture of the brightest stars and brushes of deep gray clouds. The moon was up, but where they weren't sure. "I suppose we should just start for the woods."

They started to move, and they made it about three steps before the wind whistled in their ears. An image of a woman appeared before both of them. She wasn't there in full, clearly. Her pale skin was translucent and blurred if Shirayuki stared too hard. Her dress was long and white, tied around the belt with a yellow ribbon. Trails of stars literally flowed from the dress, vanishing before they hit the ground. Her hair was short on her head, basically just tracing around her scalp. It was pure white, almost blinding too look at. Her eyes were glowing white as well. Shirayuki was a little grateful that she wasn't truly there, as otherwise Shirayuki's eyes would burn out.

Shirayuki remembered the Moon from her dream last night, but there was one difference. The moon's left side was dark. Her dress was where it was most obvious – a line of dark covering the fabric, leaving just the outlines to move slightly in the nonexistent breeze.

The horses' ears pricked forward, staring right at her.

The Moon smiled softly. While the Ocean was a hard, devastatingly powerful deity, the Moon was softer. She was an entire world away, so that did make sense, in a way. Every inhale, every movement she made – all of it was so smooth and gentle. She had an aura of power, but it wasn't as _there_ as the Ocean's.

"I would not abandon you." She promised. Her voice sounded like a _Vidre_ crystal gently tapping against something metal. "I will light your way." She moved to the side, gesturing to the ground, which had a soft white glow coming from it. The magic formed an easy trail, disappearing into the woods.

"Wow." Zen breathed.

Shirayuki brought her eyes from the trail to the Prince. With his white hair reflecting the light, and the blue in his eyes absorbing the trail, and on a steed of pure night, he looked like he could have been the child of the deity in front of him.

The Moon gave Shirayuki a funny sort of smile – almost teasing. Shirayuki's face felt hot and she looked away, shifting on River's back.

"A normal travel to the Castle from the edge of the kingdom here would take a week. Will this path take much longer?" Zen asked, pulling himself from his stupor.

The Moon thought, tilting her head. "I am not positive on your human time. At least half a cycle of me."

Zen snorted. "We've based our time partly around _you_. I find that funny."

The Moon shrugged, lifting just the one shoulder. "The trail will only appear at night, I apologize for that. I am aware humans are not nocturnal."

"Mermaids can see through the dark." Shirayuki offered.

The Moon made a sympathetic face. "Mers, yes. Humans cannot, and I am afraid you are no longer a mer, Shirayuki."

The ex-mer felt a twinge travel through her legs, she wiggled her toes in her boot, staring down at the base of River's mane. "I-I know."

Zen shot Shirayuki a sympathetic look. "You'll be a mer again soon, Shirayuki."

She nodded.

The Moon glanced at the sky. "I will be by your side so long as the path glows. Please, keep faith, and save us." With those words, she began to dissipate. Her body blurred until nothing but the light of the path remained.

"Well," Zen started, "I guess we don't need to worry about getting lost anymore." He spurred his horse, and Shirayuki bit back a yelp as River followed Thunder obediently. She remembered what Zen said and tried to keep her back straight, pressing her knees against the horse's sides.

Thunder's hooves touched upon the white trail. Little puffs flew around the horse's legs, curls of what looked like flower petals suddenly dancing around them. Thunder's ears were happy, and Zen looked amazed. "I'm tempted to get off to touch it myself." He admitted.

Shirayuki nodded in agreement. The petals wrapped around Thunder's legs, giving her white stripes. She moved on, not looking phased or in pain by the glowing stains her fur was slowly gaining.

* * *

It was a few hours into the ride when Zen pulled Thunder to a halt. He looked back at Shirayuki. "We should take a small break here."

Shirayuki nodded. She yawned as Zen dismounted. "We're not going to sleep though, right?" She asked.

Zen shook his head, pulling the tack off of Thunder and beginning to rub her sides and around where the saddle had rested. "No. I just want to let the horses get some rest. Plus, you're a new rider. You're legs are probably really sore."

Shirayuki wiggled her toes. "I don't think they are." She blinked.

"Just in case." Zen finished rubbing down Thunder, who nudged him in what Shirayuki thought was appreciation. He walked over to Shirayuki's side next. "Do you remember how to get off?"

"Kind of?" Shirayuki admitted. She freed her feet from the stirrups and let her legs dangle. She leaned forward, and lifted her leg up and around River's backside. She then slid down non-too-gracefully off the saddle. Her shirt snagged on the stirrups and almost pulled completely up. She winced and tried to keep her shirt down. Her feet hit the ground and her legs wobbled, immediately losing her balance and collapsing.

Before she could hit the ground, however, Zen's hands grabbed her waist and gently caught her. "Whoa, there." He chuckled a little, which made Shirayuki glare at him as he set her down gently. The white path jumped up around her when she landed, and Shirayuki shivered at the cool feel of it. It had no aura or energy, it was almost like a layer of moss. It touched her skin and left a gentle white glow not unlike the stripes that Thunder and River were now sporting.

"I told you you'd be sore." Zen said.

"I'm not sore! My legs just…weren't ready to catch me." She pouted, looking back up at him. His blue eyes glowed and his skin was crinkled with smile lines as he grinned at her. River leaned his head down and gently nuzzled the top of her hair with his upper lip. It tickled slightly and she had to smile at the feeling.

Zen offered her his hand, and she took it. He pulled her up with a surprising amount of strength – a little too much. Shirayuki's legs were aching and she was so unbalanced that she stumbled right into his chest.

Zen caught her easily. "Uh." He stated, his breath parting Shirayuki's hair. She could feel the pendent that his Master had given him from the sea on her palm as it rested against him for support. His heart was right next to her ear, so she didn't miss the way it skipped a beat.

A hot blush made Shirayuki's face almost hurt. She pushed off of him. "S-Sorry." She breathed, looking down at the trail to avoid seeing his face.

"N-No, it's fine. Are-are you sure you can stand on your own?" Zen said, still holding her hand cautiously as she stepped back.

"Ye-Yeah." She lied. Her knees shook and her claves were wobbling, but she didn't think Zen could see them under the thick riding pants she was wearing.

Zen let her hand go, and stepped towards River. Away from them, but still on the path, Thunder was grazing at some grass contently. As Zen began to untack River, Shirayuki tried to focus on regaining her balance. The white marks on her dress and on her pants stuck, glowing like the florescent jellyfish in the darker parts of the Sea. As she stared at them, her right leg buckled.

"Whoa." She managed, trying to lean to her left.

Zen had just pulled the saddle from River, and seeing her stumble he rushed to put it down. "I've got you!" He exclaimed, practically tossing the saddle to the ground. It landed on the trail, curls of white reaching up around it and marking it as well. River skittered a few paces away nervously.

Zen held his arms out, but when Shirayuki's right leg buckled she fell backwards, away from him. "Ah!" She yelped. Her leg bent forward with the notion and connected with Zen's ankle, effectively sweeping his legs out from under him.

Her back hit the ground with a thud, and then she gasped as the heavy weight of Zen fell on top of her as well.

He pulled himself up and looked down into her face as the trail jumped up around them as well. Shirayuki shivered at the feeling of it creeping up her cheek, through her hair and around her neck. Zen flinched slightly as one curl reached up and touched just behind his ear, brushing over his skin like a paintbrush freshly dipped in oil. Shirayuki watched the light as it curled around his hands, around her fingers, and down his cheeks.

The trail eventually settled back into a simple coating on the ground, but Shirayuki was still breathless from the feeling, and the sight of the glowing marks all over her and her friend.

"S-Sorry." Zen managed. But he didn't move. His leg was against hers, the space between them that of a goldfish. Shirayuki's heart was in her throat, and every time she felt his breath gently part around her face it seemed like it was trying to move farther up. What was wrong with her?

She lifted her hand, turning away from Zen's hypnotizing eyes – oh how they reminded her of her home; and instead stared at her fingers. Like River's legs, she had stripes of white glow racing down her palm, dipping between her fingers and wrapping around her pointer finger and her pinkie, tracing her thumb only half way before naturally fading. "What is this…?" She breathed.

Zen pulled off of her, and she sat up next to him as he did. Her dark clothing was stained, she looked like a _Vidre_ had been sewn in random lines across her clothes. She ran her fingers over the fabric of her pants, feeling no difference when she moved from the colored cloth to the normal. She looked to Zen, who had less of the trail all over him, but was staring at his hand as well. "It's so weird. You'd expect it to at least feel like magic or something."

Shirayuki looked up to the sky. Thousands of stars glittered – much closer than they had ever been before. She was hoping to see the Moon, but the cover of the trees was a little too thick. She couldn't even be sure that the Moon was over them. "How strange." She agreed. "Do you think that this will affect us?"

Zen stared at her with wide eyes. "Like, give us powers or something?" Zen shivered. "We already have the _Aigua_. I don't know what else we really need."

Shirayuki shrugged. "At the very least, it's not harmful."

Zen breathed out a slow breath into the air. "You should rub down River."

The horse in question had already joined Thunder in grazing, his tail swishing contently. "Why me?"

"He's your horse, you should bond with him." Zen scoffed. He stood, brushing off his pants – to no avail, The white glow was not going anywhere. He held a hand out for her. "Come on."

Shirayuki took his hand and this time got her feet ready before he hefted her up once more. She steadied herself, then smiled at Zen appreciatively. "Thank you."

Zen nodded and let her hand go. He walked with her over to River, who lifted his head at their approach and flicked his ears.

Shirayuki held her hand out and brushed her fingers through his thin fur. She ran her hands back and forth, applying just the littlest bit of pressure. She enjoyed the feel of his coat – fur was still somewhat new to her. Under the sea, animals had blubber or fine, almost sharp hairs to help streamline the water. But on land, fur was on almost every animal she had seen.

She glanced back at Zen, who gave her an approving nod before moving away to check their tack and their supplies. He pulled out water bottles and sat, relaxing and taking a few small breaths, staring at the white glow around him.

Shirayuki did not rush to join him. She took her time, and River seemed to appreciate it. When she had finished rubbing down all of where his tack had been, her fingers were tingling with the feel of his fur. And River leaned over and gently pressed his cheek to hers, rubbing against her face carefully before pulling away and trotting over to Thunder.

The mermaid turned and walked over to Zen, sitting down next to him. He handed her a flask filled with water. "Don't drink all of it." He warned.

"I won't." Shirayuki swallowed the water in three swift gulps. Another thing she wasn't used to – having to drink water. She hadn't needed it, as a mer the only thing she had ever needed was food.

When she finished, she wiped her lips on her sleeve and handed Zen back the flask. "Are we just going to rest during the day?"

Zen nodded. "Well set up camp when it gets a little closer to dawn. Without the path the Moon wants us to take, I don't trust that we could just keep moving."

"Plus, those pirates might have reported to their leader after seeing us – seeing _you_ alive again."

Zen winced.

"I'm sorry." Shirayuki blurted. She curled her hands around the string of the bow. "I should have killed them before."

Zen gave her a horrified look. "No! Honestly, you shouldn't kill unless you absolutely need to."

Shirayuki blinked at him. "They hurt you, Zen. People like that shouldn't be allowed to just walk around doing whatever they want."

"Y-Yeah, but killing is too…harsh."

Shirayuki couldn't believe her ears. "Harsh? Zen, they nearly raped you!"

Zen winced. "Look…" He ran his hand through his hair. "Never mind. It's kind of you to want revenge on my behalf, but…" He made a sour face and shook his head. "Just forget it, alright?"

That didn't sit well with Shirayuki. But she decided to let the subject drop for now.

They sat in slightly uncomfortable silence for a little while longer, until Thunder and River had started to get a little antsy. Then Zen stood. "Right, shall we ride on?"

Shirayuki nodded and got to her feet.

* * *

They marched through the trail until the trail faltered. The end led to a small clearing, well sheltered by thick trees surrounding the tall grass. Flowing right beside it was a small creek, twinkling softly in the beginning of early morning light. Shirayuki sighed with relief. She was exhausted, her eyelids heavy and her legs truly sore now. She was sure she wasn't going to stick the landing if she dismounted again.

Zen studied the ground. "That's the end of our journey today, then."

Shirayuki slumped down over River's neck, his mane shifting under her and he lowered his head gently at first. "Thank the Sea."

"More like the Moon." Zen joked. He dismounted, landing as if he could have walked for miles. The white trail huffed around him, the glow still sticking to his pant legs. He still had stains on his skin, but he didn't seem to particularly care. He pulled Thunder's tack off of her. Immediately, she wandered to the river and began to drink in huge, heavy gulps. He let her go for now and moved towards Shirayuki.

Not wanting to be completely helpless, Shirayuki swung her leg over River's side and pushed herself away from him a little more this time. Her boots touched the ground easily, and she held onto the saddle until she was sure her legs could support her.

"Well done." Zen praised, moving next to her to undo the belt – something Zen called a girth. "Will you try and get the tent up?"

Shirayuki nodded. She moved to the side and pulled what Zen had pointed out to her earlier, before they left the town. She untied the strings holding it in its tight spiral, and jumped at the length as it unraveled.

Zen looked over at her curiously.

She looked at him helplessly.

He smiled. "Alright, trade. You tied me with a sailing knot once – you can put the horses on their leads." He stood and held up two long ropes, easily the size of three dolphins. "You remember that these can give them room to graze and sleep without letting them escape."

Shirayuki nodded. She moved over to River and Thunder. Thunder finished her drink, and willingly let Shirayuki wrap the rope around her burly neck gently. She led the black horse to a tree and tied the other end around its trunk tightly. The horse could move almost anywhere in the clearing, the rope was so plentiful.

As she moved back to River and waited for her steed to finish drinking, she remembered what Zen had said about forming a bond. She rubbed his shoulders and sides again, watching with a smile as his ears flicked up at her touch.

Zen was pitching the tent like it was second nature. They had picked a particularly large one, with a flap down the middle if they wanted privacy while still being able to share it. Shirayuki appreciated that. She was still very scared of life on land, but she wasn't going to hold Zen's hand through all of it. She was stronger than that, she knew it. He knew it too. It wasn't out of pity that he trusted her to tie the horses. She vowed to learn everything she could about the world.

* * *

Shirayuki found the tent very comfortable. Her sleeping bag was thick and warm, and she felt secure nestled into it. They had loaded all of their items, and Shirayuki liked the feel of the tent's smooth floor. Zen was settling down on the other side. He had let her change out of her day clothing before entering, and now Shirayuki was fighting to keep her gaze pulled from him as he pulled his shirt off

"Okay, I'm decent." Zen said.

Shirayuki looked up at his face, her nose screwing up. "You call shirtless decent?"

Zen laughed. "How many mermen go through their life with no shirt?" He challenged. "Besides, it's a waste of laundry for me to wear a shirt to bed. I have pants on."

Shirayuki rolled her eyes. "Fine." Her eyes moved to his chest impulsively. White marks from the trail curled around his muscles, around his arms in bands and stripes. In the low light, both him and Shirayuki were giving off just a dusting of white light thanks to these marks. "Do you think this will fade away?"

Zen studied his midsection. "I hope so. I don't want to spend my life glowing."

Birds were beginning to chirp outside. They sounded so foreign, and so many, Shirayuki shivered. "Is it really safe to just leave the horses out there?" She asked.

Zen nodded. "You threw that magic knife of yours out there, after all. We'll hear people coming. I just hope the horses get some sleep. It'll be a hard shift for them. There aren't any bears or lions in this part of the woods, and something tells me these markings might be more powerful then we believe."

"Maybe she'll tell us in our dreams." Shirayuki hoped aloud.

Zen nodded, curling into his sleeping bag. "When the sun comes up, it'll be bright." He warned.

"That's okay." Shirayuki shrugged. "The _Vidre_ never stops glowing, even when mers sleep around them." She turned on her side, facing Zen. She had decided against pulling down the separator for tonight. Just for tonight – as the birds still sounded far too close for her comfort.

"The sun is a lot brighter than any _Vidre_."

"Even the one that Kay was sitting on in your first day Below Surface?" Shirayuki challenged.

Zen nodded. "Yes!"

Shirayuki smiled, glad they could joke about that dark night. A yawn grabbed her and forced her to comply. When she finished, she saw Zen had caught onto the trend. "Sleep well." She mumbled to the Prince.

"You too." Zen nodded.


	24. Chapter 24

**HAPPY HALLOWEENNNNNN! And hello! Welcome back! I hope you're enjoying your holiday! This chapter is quite a whopper, lemme tell ya. I was entirely inspired by Fairy Tail in some scenes, I will not lie. The plot thickens...oh, and remember way back when I was like this might be a 20 chapter fanfiction? Hahahahaha, let's up that counter to maybe forty. This is apparently it's own novel, I hope you're ready. That's all from me this time, enjoy the spoopy day! Remember, Review!**

* * *

It was the same clicking that forced his eyes open.

The gentle click of cloth being torn, sew by sew. He turned over, staring at the glint of the small pocket knife that ripped a tear in the wall of his tent. Zen jumped to his feet, his blankets discarding as he made fists, readying his stance for the intruders.

A heavy wind shook the tent, throwing the new flap open to reveal three burly figures, basked in shadows. Their wickedly curved blades and the cruel hysteria in their eyes the only way Zen could make them out.

He clenched his teeth. _Not again._

Someone screamed behind him.

He whirled. "Shirayuki!"

The mermaid had her tail again, the beautiful green and gold scales on full display as two men grabbed her arms and heaved her upwards, stretching her back and leaving her fin listlessly on the ground.

"Let her go!" Zen turned to make a move towards his friend, when someone wrapped their hand around his mouth and over his nose, a cloth heavy with all the drugs it soaked in holding his mouth open. His wrists were grabbed and bound with rope in fast, tight spirals behind his back.

Shirayuki stared at the knife as they brought it to her throat, leveling it over her esophagus.

Zen's eyes widened as the man pushed in and then pulled the knife free, sending an arch of bright red blood through the air.

Shirayuki's eyes were staring right at them as they lost their color, and she fell limp.

Tears began to well in Zen's eyes, but suddenly he was blindfolded. His head was yanked backwards and he grunted with pain as he was shoved back into something small and cramped, butt first.

" _IF THE OCEAN WAS NOT YOUR GRAVE, THE LAND WILL BE."_

Zen jerked at the voice.

 _"I WARNED YOU. CLARINES WILL SINK JUST LIKE ATLANTIS. YOU'VE SEALED YOUR FATE."_

The barrel moved and Zen began to roll, already feeling seasick.

 _"DIE, PRICE OF CLARINES!"_

* * *

Zen sat up with a loud shout that made the horses outside whinny in fear.

He gasped for breath, sweat dripping down his body and his eyes unfocused.

A hand grabbed his arm and he flinched. "Stay back!" He cried, trying to gather his legs and run away.

"Zen!" The voice made him gasp and blink hard, clearing his vision. Shirayuki's green eyes had flashes of gold flickering in and out of them as she grabbed his arms, holding him towards her. "Calm down." She breathed, relief filling her gaze as she saw recognition in his eyes.

"S-Sorry." A shiver ran down Zen's back as he took in the sight of her. She didn't have her tail, she had two tanned legs sticking slightly out of her sleeping bag as she leaned on them to hold him. Her throat was not slit, she did not have dead eyes. He pulled his gaze away, touching her fingers gently. "Just a bad dream." He stared at the tent wall. There was no cut, no one had ripped it open.

"A bad dream?"

Zen nodded. "I…I gotta go get some fresh air." He gently pulled her hands from his shoulders and stood, his legs shaky. He stumbled out of the tent, into the middle of the day.

He winced against the bright glare, but relished in the warmth of the dying summer.

"Zen?" Shirayuki called after him.

The Prince lifted his hand and moved towards the river. The floating knife moved next to him protectively.

Thunder trotted a few steps over and leaned against him with a huff, her ears back.

"Hi, girl." He mumbled. He had always had a great relationship with horses, and he was glad he had bonded so well with this one. He leaned on her neck as she helped him limp to the cool stream. Zen felt his heartbeat pound against his chest, as if trying to break out of his skin. River watched curiously as Zen stepped straight into the refreshingly cold water, his pant leg immediately soaking through.

Thunder whinnied in fright as he then collapsed underneath the surface, his knees buckling. He let the water rush over his face, feeling the surface explode around his form as he did so. He held his breath as he was fully submerged, rolling over and letting the cold seep through his pores. He imagined the river washing away the dream with the current – all but that voice. It had threatened him Below Surface, and now it threatened him here.

Who was it? What was it?

A glow made him open his eyes. Standing over him was the Moon. He pushed himself back up, sitting up in the current. Rivulets of water draped down his bare torso from his hair.

"I am sorry." The Moon spoke, his voice echoing in his head. "I am not strong enough now to reveal myself to you."

"Because of the sun?" He guessed, his voice deep and gravelly from the scream. He stared at the reflection in the moving current, flickering to and from the face of the Moon to the form he always saw in the night sky.

"Yes." She nodded. "My protection will keep you from detection – or it is supposed to. I am sorry it cannot protect you from who haunts your dreams."

Zen shook his head, droplets that caught the sunlight flying from his hair strands. "I…It's alright."

The Moon made a sad face. "It's not. I cannot say what would cure your nightmares."

Zen let out a long breath. "The _Aigua._ I haven't gotten one since I got the _Aigua_."

The Moon looked uncomfortable. "I do not give my shield easily, Prince of Clarines."

"I am not asking." Zen promised with a bitter smile.

The Moon nodded, her reflection shifting in the water. "I cannot stay much longer. Perhaps talk to Shirayuki about it? She may have some spells."

"Thanks." Zen tried to mean it. He was too shaken to be truly grateful.

The Moon vanished, almost as if she had been swept away by the current.

Zen tilted his head back, staring at the sky.

* * *

Shirayuki crawled out of the tent after two more minutes of waiting for the Prince. She had never heard Zen shout in terror like that before, and thinking of it gave her goosebumps. She had not been having the most restful sleep, ether, but her dreams had been of dancing under the sea once again. Nothing to make her so unsettled.

The sun took a few moments for her to get used to when she did rise to her feet. The grass between her toes made her smile slightly. It tickled ever just, very gently supporting the arch of her foot. She felt connected to the earth – she liked it.

Then she turned.

Zen was sitting in the river, staring at the sky. Water ran down his abs and dripped from his disheveled hair. His fingers trailed in the water, and his eyes were thoughtful and concerned. But what caught Shirayuki's gaze most were the markings on his body. Running down the side of his torso were pictures of the Moon. From the top, he had the waxing crescent, below that a quarter moon, which then turned into the half moon, and then the full moon. Then the Moon began to wane, three quarters full, to half, two one quarter, back to a crescent. They were like tattoos, but they were pure white, as if pearls had been embedded into his skin. They fit him…almost too well.

Shirayuki felt a blush rise to her cheeks, and she scrubbed at her eyes. "Zen." She called.

The Prince turned to look at her. "Shirayuki." He took a deep breath, then ducked his head down. He cupped the water in his hands and scrubbed at his face. "I'm sorry to have woken you. You should go back to sleep."

Shirayuki ignored his suggestion and walked over to River – the horse, that is, gently running her hands over the horse's neck. Her knife floated over all of them, pointing left and right as if scanning the area. "What was it about?"

Zen paused, then looked away from her. "Pirates. The kidnapping." She could barely hear him over the rush of water.

"Oh." Shirayuki leaned against River's warm side.

"And…and whoever or whatever it is that we're trying to find and stop."

This admission made Shirayuki snap her head up. "What?"

Zen turned back to her, lifting his shoulders. "It's weird. I've heard their voice before, Below Surface. They always threaten that the land is going to be my grave, since the sea wasn't. They also tell me…they tell me that Clarines is going to sink, just like Atlantis."

Shirayuki clasped her hand to her chest. "That's…a terrifying thought."

Zen nodded. "I can't tell a gender, or a place that they might be. All I can for sure tell you is that…they absolutely despise me."

Shirayuki took a deep breath. She stared at Zen. "And…they were in your dreams when we were Below Surface, too?"

Zen nodded slowly. He turned away from her, the white stripes from last night gone - besides those moons.

Shirayuki wasn't quite sure why, but she pushed off of River and let her legs take her into the river. She wadded over to Zen and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her cheek against his upper back. He stiffened at first, then relaxed into her embrace.

The water was freezing around her knees. The bottom of her nightgown was immediately soaked, but Shirayuki didn't care. It was odd not to feel the sting of salt, but Zen had told her the difference between salt and fresh water when she asked why she felt so thirsty, back at Gladys's.

"You should have told me." Shirayuki mumbled into his shoulder. His skin was soaking and cool against her warm cheek.

Zen huffed, making her grip on him jump a little. "I know."

Shirayuki didn't want to let him go. He seemed so shaken, it hurt her heart to see him like this. "We'll beat them, Zen. Then we'll both go home." She promised.

Zen nodded slowly. He reached up and squeezed her intertwined hands resting on his torso. His fingers were cold. "Thank you."

They remained like that until Shirayuki began to shiver. Then she unlaced her fingers and dropped back, heading towards the bank again. She climbed out backwards, lifting her butt onto the ground and twisting. She realized the end of her hair had gotten wet, and with a scowl pulled it around to squeeze it out.

Zen turned to face her, eyes glittering with that same energy once again. He smiled at her, and Shirayuki had to smile back. Then his face suddenly looked surprised. "Shirayuki…you have tattoos?"

"Huh?" She stopped.

He pointed to her right forearm. She stared at it, not truly surprised. She had a matching set to Zen's moons on his torso. She ran her hand over them. They felt similar to the trail last night. "I think it's from those markings last night." She nodded towards him. "You have a set on your side."

Zen looked down and gasped. "Whoa!" He ran his hand down the moons, his palm covering and revealing each individual phase as he did. "This is….amazing." Then he sighed. "My brother better not find out, he'd kill me."

Shirayuki had to giggle at his expression. "Does your brother not like tattoos?"

Zen shook his head. "We're royalty, after all."

Shirayuki rolled her eyes and yawned. The sun was still high in the sky, if she had to guess, she'd think that they'd been sleeping for a good few hours.

"Seriously, go back to sleep. We have another long night of riding ahead of us."

Shirayuki nodded. "Alright. You should sleep, too."

"I will." Zen nodded. "I just want to dry out a little."

"Fair enough." Shirayuki stood, brushing off her gown. She walked back to the tent, slipping into her sleeping bag again with a sigh of relief. Still, her mind churned. Who were they facing that they could get into Zen's dreams both Below and Above Surface?

* * *

Half an hour later, Shirayuki sighed when she realized sleep was not coming back to her. She sat up, and looked over at Zen. He was facing away from her, but the way he was breathing showed he wasn't sleeping ether.

Shirayuki pushed aside her sleeping bag and went outside to feel the grass again. When she went outside, she froze.

Thunder and River were staring as well, and the knife floated over to Shirayuki's side slowly.

Three men were standing, surveying the area with hunting gear and thick bundles of cloth around them. "We could set up camp here, Reg?" Suggested one of them. His eyes slipped right over Shirayuki and she felt a shiver. But the man did not react to her.

"I don't know." Said who Shirayuki assumed was Reg. "There's something creepy about this place. I have a bad feeling."

Shirayuki clutched at her chest and opened her mouth to call out, saying that she and Zen were already here. But Zen suddenly appeared behind her, wrapping his hand around her mouth gently. "Shh." He hushed, his breath warm against her ear. "Wait a minute."

The men scoured the area. They didn't seem to notice the tent, or the horses, or Shirayuki and Zen themselves.

"Yeah, I see what you mean." Reg finally sighed. "Let's keep going. We'll find another place."

The three men turned and kept walking through the underbrush.

Zen sighed in relief and let go of Shirayuki. "I guess that's the moon's protection – that white trail from yesterday."

Shirayuki stared at her forearm, the new tattoos still burning white. "It must be." She agreed. "How strange." She smiled at Zen. "I guess the land does have some magic after all."

Zen shrugged. "First I've seen of it." He stretched, his arms gently bushing the tent backwards. Shirayuki stepped forward onto the grass to give him some space. "Can't sleep either?"

Shirayuki shook her head. "The sun's too bright."

"And yet you wrote off my concerns earlier." Zen stuck his tongue out at her with a grin.

"Well, mind you I hadn't been planning to be interrupted." She winked to make sure he knew she was just joking. "Besides, I like the feel of the grass. I feel like a walk, honestly."

Zen blinked at her. "Okay. Let me join you. We should leave the knife to defend the horses."

Shirayuki nodded. "Yeah."

"I know you said you like the feel of the grass, but you should put on some shoes. You could step on a prick or something sharp." Zen said as he ducked back inside the tent.

"Well, I have to wait for you." She called to him, moving instead to the horses and the riverbank. River moved to greet her, and she smiled as she opened her arms for him. He bossily nudged her for scratches, and she complied with a giggle. Horses reminded her of Lioj in an odd way, and she was quickly growing fond of them.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Zen and Shirayuki trekked away from their campsite. Not far, and Zen assured Shirayuki he would be able to find their camp ground again.

Shirayuki watched the leaves above her head move, the light seemingly following their progress besides the leaves. She reached out and brushed the hard bark of the trees around them, the smells of dirt and air strange to her nostrils.

"Careful." Zen warned softly, grabbing her elbow and pulling her out of the way of a tree root.

"Oh." She blinked. "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's fine." Zen smiled and released her arm, walking forward a few steps before stretching his arms up. "I've always loved the forests. They're the best way to escape."

"Escape?"

Zen nodded and waited for her, falling into step with her. "In the castle, things are really stuffy. There's always something to do. It's nice to leave it behind and be out and about."

"Ah." Shirayuki thought about it. "Do you not like being a Prince?"

Zen plucked a leaf from a tree and studied it, looking a little uncomfortable. "I don't often get asked that." He was quiet for a few more steps before he let the leaf go. Shirayuki watched it twirl and circle slowly to the ground. Like it obeyed gravity but only just – and refused to not have fun on the way down. "I like having the ability to make a change. I love my people and my kingdom. I'd do anything for them."

"But?" Shirayuki continued for him.

Zen gave her a sort of helpless smile. "You know me too well."

Shirayuki shrugged. "We've been in a lot of life or death situations. You get the crash course."

He laughed. "How do you know that phrase?"

"You used it when you were still learning how to fight Below Surface."

Zen gave her a shocked look. "Wow. You have a good memory."

"And you're distracting from the original conversation."

"You've got me there." Zen sighed, and pushed a branch up so Shirayuki could duck underneath it. The leaves brushed over her hair and she couldn't help comparing it to diving under the curl of a wave. She had to say, she preferred the wave. " _But_ , royal life is suffocating. I have so many responsibilities, none of them to myself or my friends. I don't have time for anything, just for my country. I live to serve the kingdom."

Shirayuki frowned. "Our royals don't." She looked ahead, listening to the birds around them.

"Don't what?"

"Do any of that. You saw them. They think the opposite." At the next bush, Shirayuki's dress snagged on a bramble. She carefully tried to remove it, Zen waited and watched. "They don't belong to the kingdom – or, in this case, the Sea. The Sea belongs to them. All they want is power." Shirayuki sighed, ready to give up on the stubborn fabric.

Zen knelt next to her and swiftly pried the small ball of pricks from the bush, though it was still stuck on the hem of her sleeping dress. He grabbed the hem and the little ball and swiftly pulled, chucking it into the forest then wiping off his hand on his boot. He rung out the dress where it had been and wiped his hand again, letting the dress fall. "You really should have put on pants for this."

"It's just a short walk." Shirayuki argued.

Zen shrugged. "As for your royals, didn't you once say that you heard them talk about how using the Bed of Light was not part of the plan? Whatever is happening to the world right now, they're both at the center of it."

Shirayuki heaved a sigh so great her shoulders slumped. "We still have no idea what's really going on. Besides a murder attempt at you, and the apparent destruction of the ocean, what's going on?"

Zen pulled his lips to the side. "Hmm." He shook his head. "Something out there wants to destroy Clarines. Maybe another revenge thing? In my dreams, the voice talks about Clarines sinking like Atlantis did. So, it could be that whoever is out there is after my country."

"But _why?_ And how would Clarines's destruction cause the death of the Ocean?"

"I don't know." Zen ducked under a branch. "I really just don't know."

They fell into a silence for a while, when Shirayuki suddenly stiffened.

"What?" Zen stopped.

Shirayuki looked towards her right. "Do you hear a waterfall?"

Zen listened. "No?"

Shirayuki was certain. She ignored Zen and balled up her dress slightly, stepping high over a bush and towards the sound.

"Wait for me!" Zen called.

Shirayuki ignored him and marched forward through the trees. She was sure, and as they got closer, her heart thudded. She stopped just at the edge of a massive clearing, letting her dress go. "Zen." She breathed.

The Prince came up next to her and took a breath. He ran his fingers through his hair. "How are they here?" He hissed.

A waterfall reaching up just over the height of the ruined pirate ship thundered into the river in a straight curtain. The clearing in front of them was full of flowers, and the scene was almost peaceful thanks to the mist gently rolling from the base of the waterfall, even with the barnacle encrusted ship sitting on its side just barely out of the water.

Shirayuki bit her lip. "If I had to guess, I'd say that the river comes from the Sea. But I still don't understand why it would wash all the way inland like this. That's built for the ocean, not a small line of water."

Zen shuddered. "We should have brought the knife."

"Do you think anyone's still aboard?" Shirayuki looked at him. "I mean, the whole thing is sideways. And, the flags are ripped up."

Zen scratched his head. "And the pirates were in the town." He reluctantly agreed. "We can check it out, but we have to be really careful."

Shirayuki grabbed his hand. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

His blue eyes stared into hers, gratitude and something else shimmering in them. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Besides, we need to know. I bet the Moon placed us here hoping we'd find this."

The once mermaid glanced to the sky. There were only a few puffs of white clouds, the blue somehow so stagnant and different than the sea. "We can ask her tonight, maybe."

Zen shrugged. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

They moved out of the brush and towards the sideways ship.

Getting on board was no issue. An abandoned rope ladder was thrown over the side, and Zen held it as still as he could while Shirayuki climbed up first. She poked her head over the edge of the ship and looked around. "It's empty." She called back to Zen.

"Are you sure?"

Shirayuki nodded. Zen's voice was faded thanks to the roar of the waterfall. "Nothing's on the ship, Zen."

Zen jumped up the rope ladder.

Shirayuki pulled herself out of the way. It was hard to stand, the entire mast of the ship was sideways after all. The deck was completely empty. No crates, no ropes, just ripped fabric hanging from the sails brushing against the wood sadly.

Zen got up next to her with a grunt. He stood, a little unsteadily. A shiver passed through him. "No doubt about it. This is _The Poisoned Rose_."

"The ship you were captured on?" Shirayuki asked.

Zen nodded. He pointed to the main sail's base. "That's where I was tied up." Zen then pointed to the opposite side of the ship, where there was an odd break in the railing. "I walked off the plank there."

Shirayuki reached up and grabbed Zen's hand. He didn't react, just squeezed her fingers.

"Let's go below deck." He helped her to her feet, which was insanely dizzying. Shirayuki leaned heavily on her right foot and hobbled towards the closed door leading below deck. As they passed a grate, an odd smell tickled Shirayuki's nose. She looked down, and her heart sank. She tugged on Zen's hand. "Zen." Her voice wavered. "Look." She whispered.

Zen stopped and turned, looking down as well. His next inhale didn't come for a few seconds, as he stared down his blue eyes widened and his mouth pulled into a tight line. "Whoa."

Shirayuki had seen death. Heck, she had _caused_ it before. But this? This was nothing like she had seen.

Below them was a pure carpet of bodies. All pirates, clear from the clothing. They all lie, the scent wafting up through the grate. They had to have been there for hours. The light gave Shirayuki little details, and curiosity tore through her. She stood away from the grate and looked at Zen. "I'm going to see what killed them." She declared.

"Not without me." Despite his words, Zen's eyes were shaky. His breath was coming heavier than usual, and his palm was wet with sweat.

Shirayuki met his gaze evenly. "Are you sure?"

Zen nodded. "These men tortured me, but they don't deserve a murder. Besides, what if whatever killed them is still here?"

Shirayuki scoffed. "I doubt it. We have the _Aigua_. We have the Moon's protection."

"And we don't know anything about what happened here." Zen urged.

Shirayuki shrugged. "Mers don't fear much, Zen. You know that."

Zen looked like he wanted to argue more, but Shirayuki didn't give him the chance to. She pulled him forward and marched to the door. She kicked it open, to which Zen gave a soft whistle. "Easy, tiger."

Shirayuki grinned, an image of a tiger shark popping into her head. She clenched Zen's fingers in hers and braced herself as they walked around to the staircase leading below deck. In the rooms they passed there was nothing, not even hammocks to sleep in. She opened the door and the smell assaulted her. She made a face while Zen lifted his shirt to cover his nose and mouth.

"They must have been killed. Look at the blood on the floor." Shirayuki nodded to the floor just in front of her boots.

Zen shook his head. "This is awful."

Now that she was below deck, her herbalist mind rushed like the waves curling over the sand. She spotted stab wounds, slashes over throats. Each one of the crew had been brutally murdered, but it looked like the bodies had been dragged down here. The way they bent over each other and stains over the floors and walls proved that. She imagined the misting from the waterfall had washed the red from the upper deck.

Zen made a noise in the back of his throat. "Being how there's nothing on this ship anymore, my best guess would be the ship got attacked by another ship. They lost, and took no prisoners. Whoever attacked them then ransacked the place." Zen nodded to one of the closer bodies. "Look at the mouth. That man had a gold tooth when I knew him."

Shirayuki nodded slowly. "And they could also have been the ones who pushed the ship down the river." She pursed her lips. "But still…who would attack the pirates like this so devastatingly? And what about the pirates we saw in town? You said they were of this crew."

Zen bravely let go of her hand and stepped over some of the bodies. He wandered through them cautiously, stopping near the only thing reflecting light. In the cold hands of one of the pirates sat a knife. Zen cautiously pulled the blade free and stared at the handle. He frowned. "This emblem…"

Shirayuki shivered, feeling less brave without him by her side. "Come back over here."

Zen obeyed. As he walked he talked, eyes firmly on where it was safe to step. "There are some people I don't recognize. I bet the _Poisoned Rose_ wasn't a single ship – or a single crew. They're rotating. They must serve under someone then."

Shirayuki moved out of the room and Zen followed. They had seen enough. Shirayuki took one last glance into the make shift body pit. Then she sighed and closed the door behind her. She took Zen's hand and pulled him swiftly out from below and towards the deck. "The Queen admitted to me that she hired the pirates."

Zen blinked. "You never told me that."

"No." She agreed. "It slipped my mind – and the memories of the moments right before I got paralyzed are kind of faded."

Zen hummed. "But…why me?"

Shirayuki didn't wait to answer before climbing down the rope ladder. Zen followed. Shirayuki found going down ladders much more terrifying then going up, but she didn't hesitate, sure on what she needed to do for these pirates.

She walked back towards the brush, stopping in the field and waiting for the Prince of Clarines to catch up. "I asked her too." She took a few deep breaths, then raised her hands.

The straight falling water suddenly jerked as if it had just been woken from a nap. Instead of pouring into the river, Shirayuki gave the basin a faint break.

The power she was holding back made her stagger with shock. She fell to one knee, grunting.

The power lifted slightly, enough that Shirayuki could stand again. She looked up at Zen, who had lifted his hands to help her in halting the waterfall. "Thank you." She whispered.

The Prince looked at her. "What are you trying to do?"

"Sink the ship."

Zen's eyes turned sharp. "Pardon?"

She nodded. "Pull the waterfall over the hull, we'll drag it to the bottom and bury it." Her eyes burned, and she wondered if they were gold. She wasn't sure if her eyes still changed color as a human.

Zen hesitated.

"I want that ship destroyed." She hissed. "Bury the bad in the muck, let it decompose." Softer, she rose to her feet again. At this point, the two humans had created quite a massive bubble still growing under the constant pressure of the fall feeding it. It floated in the air, looking as out of place as it could be. "And let those souls still trapped inside of it be freed under the ocean's currents to explore."

Zen gave a small, bitter smile at that. He turned his attention to the water and it reacted. The bubble and the fall both pulled forward, towards the ship. Slowly, starting from the main mast, the ship was enveloped. Shirayuki pulled the water forward as well, and the slow progress suddenly sped. The wood cracked and groaned from the weight it now held.

The moment the water completely encased the ship, both Zen and Shirayuki made pushing motions. The ground was torn as the ship pulled back into the river – as if the ship was clawing at the grass to try and give it hold. As soon as it was off of the land, Shirayuki and Zen both at the same time pushed their hands downwards.

The bubble broke. With a roar that could have been mistaken for a god's scream, the ship was thrust under the river and into the thick muck. It burrowed deep, the waterfall acting like a hammer into the ground.

Shirayuki and Zen both pulled their influence away, and gasped for breath. The waterfall fluttered and spat out excess build up for a few moments longer, until finally resuming as if nothing had happened. The ground where the ship had been was soaked and void of grass.

Zen gave Shirayuki a smile. "That was incredible."

Shirayuki smiled back. "I can sleep now, I don't know about you."

Zen stared at the dagger in his hand. "My mind might not let me, but I'm ready to try." He tucked the dagger into his belt and offered Shirayuki his elbow. "Back to camp we go?"

Shirayuki smiled and wrapped her hand around his elbow. "Lead the way."


	25. Chapter 25

**MERRY CHRISTMAS! If you celebrate this holiday, I hope it's filled with magical snowflakes and wonderful memories in the making. If not, I hope you enjoy this wonderful winter's day and any other holiday you celebrate!**

 **I'm finally home from college, and phew does it feel amazing. It's Christmas Eve right now, and appreciate that I stayed up very late writing this hot mess of a chapter. Totally went off the rails with it, but I'll blame Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse for it as it totally inspired me and I needed to write some action!**

 **I hope you enjoy, remember, review! Happy Holidays!**

* * *

Shirayuki awoke once more to the evening sky and the smell of something roasting. She sat up with a groan, rubbing her eye. Zen wasn't in the tent with her, but the flap was open to reveal a slightly more purple sky. "Zen?" She called out lazily, stretching her arms.

"Morning, sunshine." Zen laughed, poking his head through the opening of the tent. His white hair was brushed and he had dressed. "I'm making dinner – or, I guess breakfast for us."

Shirayuki blinked. "Oh." She got out of her sleeping bag and shuffled forward. On her hands and knees, she looked to her right. The horses were snoozing on their feet – something she still found insane. What creature slept standing up? But she shrugged it off and looked to her left, where Zen had started a fire.

Her eyes widened at the dancing orange and red flames. At the bottom licked blue flames, and it sat on the wooden logs uncomfortably, like at any moment it was going to spill over and onto the ground. Zen had put the fire over a pile of dirt – Shirayuki noticed. He had dug two sticks upright next to the fire, and was using a black pan to roast something over the flames. The fire lashed at the bottom of the pan, but it was unmoving.

"That's fire." Zen said at her awe.

"I know that much." Shirayuki snapped.

Zen laughed again. "Just don't touch it."

Shirayuki pulled her eyes away from the hypnotizing flame and glared at the Prince. He had donned his riding trousers, his thick black boots, and his shawl. The mermaid's eyes moved towards his side, where she knew the tattoo of the moon in all its cycles was probably glowing. He had his sword hanging at his side, and near the river sat the bow and arrow they had bought. "What are you cooking?"

"Deer." Zen responded. He moved to the fire and grabbed the edge of the pan, which was carefully pointed away from the fire. He shook the pan slightly, causing whatever was inside of it to swish around. "I went out and hunted a few hours ago."

"Oh. Thanks. Let me get changed first."

"Take your time." Zen nodded in agreement.

Shirayuki ducked back into the tent. She closed the tent's flap for privacy as she began to fumble for her clothing. She pulled on a pair of black pants meant for riding, her brown boots that moved up to her knees, and a dark blue shirt over her bra. It had taken her a few tries to get accustomed to the way bras worked on land. Below Surface, bras had a small twist of a clasp that locked into place. Above Surface, it was a hook around the back.

Shirayuki finished her outfit with the shawl and then quickly braided her hair, holding it in place with her pin from Below Surface. She stared at it with a pang in her heart. She had only been gone about three days, and yet she missed her home world so desperately. At least there she hadn't had to constantly be pulling her hair out of her face.

She emerged from the tent to find Zen had pulled the meat from the pan. "I hope you like it." He told her as she walked over, sitting on the grass next to him. This close to the pit Zen had dug, she could feel the intense heat flutter over her cheeks. It made her toes curl up and she shivered as Zen handed her a piece of meat and a napkin. She missed being able to just toss her food into the water and have it wait there for her.

The meat was hot and hurt her hands to hold for too long, so she kept switching hands.

"Usually," Zen said over a mouthful, "we use plates and forks. But I didn't buy any since their too much of a hassle to carry when it's just the two of us with two horses."

"I remember." Shirayuki scowled at Zen. "We ate with them over at Gladys's."

Zen nodded sheepishly. His hair was curly out of the water, and it was almost long enough to cover his eyes. He had to keep pushing it to the side, so it formed a weird sort of wave over his forehead. "Right, sorry. Do you like it?"

Shirayuki shrugged. She took a tentative bite, and blinked at the flavor. She took her time to chew it, then swallowed. "It's good." She admitted.

"Good to know you like it." Zen smiled. He looked up at the sky, where the sun was long gone. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky – which was good news for them. "I don't know if you know this, but while we went shopping I sent a letter to Mitsuhide and Kiki."

"Who? And when did you do that?" Shirayuki blinked.

"Mitsuhide and Kiki – they're my personal knights, and my closest friends. They'll help us get back into the castle. I can trust them with anything." He took another bite. "On the way back to the inn, you don't remember me stopping in that little building, you said you'd wait outside?"

"Oh." Shirayuki nodded. "I was looking out for more…pirates." She paused in her dinner. "Zen, something I don't understand. Do you think the pirates we met in town knew what had happened already?"

Zen pursed his lips. "They didn't seem any bothered by it, if they did."

Shirayuki sighed. She took another bite of the deer. "Do you think your friends – Mitsuhide and Kiki can help with identifying the knife we found?"

Zen hummed. "They might. No one knows weapons like Kiki – especially if their from a noble family or royal. She can wield almost anything, and I've never beaten her in a duel."

"Why would you duel her?" Shirayuki blinked. "I thought you were friends."

Zen laughed. "I've only ever dueled with her for practice – we only spar. I would hate to be on the other end of her blade for real."

"Ah." Shirayuki nodded. She hadn't yet heard "duel" used in the context of just training. "And Mitsuhide – do you duel him too?"

"Yes. He's almost on the same level as Kiki. They've always ended in draws whenever they spar, but I think if it was a serious fight Kiki could probably win." He winced. "Don't tell him I said that when we meet up with them, okay?"

Shirayuki smiled. "I won't. When do you think they'll meet us?"

Zen looked up, then around. "I told them that we were taking an odd path, but towards the next town. We'll get there in about a day."

Shirayuki nodded. She finished her meat and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She stood and moved to the river, washing her hands before cupping the cool water and rubbing her lips dry. "Thank you for the meal, Zen."

Zen nodded. "Of course. It's good practice to get used to fighting on land again."

As she stared at her reflection in the river, a smile broke over Shirayuki's face. She flicked her fingers over the water, and from the little droplets she scattered rose five little bubbles out of the river's current. She lifted her hand, the little drops following her in mid air. She turned around and curled her hand into a fist, the drops of water hardening into something similar to snow. When she flicked her hand out again, this time with her fingers together, they sailed through the air.

Across the clearing, they made contact on the back of Zen's head. He gasped and whirled with surprise, staring at her with a comical look on his face. "How _rude_!"

Shirayuki stuck her tongue out, but then heard the swell of water behind her. "Uh oh." She turned around slowly, watching as a whole wall of the river rose from its place on the ground. It towered over her, and with a sigh she turned back to Zen. "You would dare?"

He had his hand held out towards her, and he tilted his head. "I might. Unless you say you're sorry."

She felt a grin pull on her lips. "And if I don't, you'll dump all this water on top of me?"

"Something like that." He laughed.

"Well, I won't say sorry, because then I would be lying."

Zen lifted his shoulder. "Alright then, your fate is sealed." He withdrew his hand and the water thundered as it began to drop over Shirayuki. At the very last second, she thrust her hand, palm up, directly above her head. The water sighed as it parted over her, cascading to the ground next to her but not a single drop touched even her palm as it did. Once the onslaught ended, Shirayuki grinned up at Zen's shocked face.

"Speaking of a spar, I'm pretty sure I'm the mermaid here." Shirayuki got to her feet, tossing her shawl back around her shoulders to free her arms. "And I have much more control of the _Aigua_ than you ever would, human."

Zen recognized the teasing nature in her gaze but stood up nonetheless. "Be that as it may, we humans are adaptable creatures. I'm sure I can best you – you at least couldn't take me down with the ease at which you boast."

Shirayuki rolled his eyes at how he changed his wording. She curled her hand into a fist and threw it back to her head, then forward towards him.

A whip of water lashed from the river, charging just past Zen and sizzling as it struck the fire, putting it out in an instant douse. Shirayuki pulled her hand back to her side and the water slowly retreated past Zen, hovering around Shirayuki's legs as she tilted her head.

The steam of the newly put out flame hissed against the pan. The horses stirred, but didn't flinch at the nature-defying feats being performed not far from them.

Zen started to lift his hands, when suddenly he leaned his fingers forward.

Shirayuki gasped in surprise as the very water she was holding steady in the air splashed back over her midriff, soaking her top through. She shivered at the cool feeling, and angrily flicked her hands, letting the water retreat into the river. "Not bad." She swiped her hand in a curving motion in front of her stomach. All the water that had soaked into her clothing pulled free and into the air, leaving not a trace except for the goosebumps on her arms. She moved the remaining water over to Zen, and Zen let it simply splash him across the bend of his nose with a smug smile.

"Thanks, I learned from the best." He sighed and wiped his face with his sleeve. Then he slowed, his eyes going to the ground. "I think it's time."

Shirayuki saw the glow reflected in his eyes before she looked down and saw it herself. The ground beneath them began to grow with a white glow, each individual grass stalk shimmering like it had been coated by moonlight.

And from that glow rose a familiar figure.

The Moon wore the same dress she had last night. But now, the dark stripe Shirayuki had noticed yesterday was slightly larger. She dipped her head, and gestured for Zen and Shirayuki to follow the path she was lighting for them.

* * *

They were trotting through the night when Shirayuki noticed it. Thunder and River were almost step and step, but Thunder was just the teeniest bit ahead. So Shirayuki had ample view of Zen's side. She knew that looking away from the road was potentially dangerous, but she had to glance at the Prince for this very reason.

Through the side of his shirt, she could see his tattoo's glowing. Bright enough to see through his shirt, but when his shawl moved forward slightly it blocked them from view once more. She checked her arm, and sure enough, they glowed brighter at night.

She opened her mouth to call out to Zen, when suddenly both the horses stopped. Shirayuki, unprepared for the halt, crashed forward against River's neck. "Oof!" She pushed herself back. Under her, River felt like a feral animal. His muscles were tense, and Shirayuki felt a thrill of fear creep over her spine at the lack of control.

Zen had caught himself and was looking to where Thunder was looking. His blue eyes were narrowed. "What is…that?"

Shirayuki followed his gaze. The horses were staring through the trees, where a faint orange glow hissed over the horizon. "Reminds me of the fire." She hummed.

Zen twisted in his seat, staring at her. "Shirayuki, do you smell anything?"

Shirayuki inhaled deeply through her nose. "It kinda smells like what those men had in their mouths back in the town. Smoke?"

"Forest fire." Zen hissed. He gathered his reins, and his stance tightened. Thunder responded under him, lifting her mighty head and kicking her front hooves. Her tail swished.

Shirayuki tensed as River followed her lead.

"We're going to have to run for it." Zen turned to face her, his blue eyes reassuring. "Move with River, hang on tight with your legs. Heels down." He reminded.

Shirayuki pushed her heels down and squeezed with her knees, nodding. She didn't gather her reins, trusting River would follow Thunder closely.

Zen spurred Thunder with a kissing noise, and Thunder needed no more prompting.

Shirayuki had cantered before, but the gallop was different. The wind turned biting and tossed her hood off her head so quickly Shirayuki thought it was ripped from her shawl. Her teeth clenched and she fought the urge to lean forward. She forced her muscles to relax, moving with River's steady stride. Just hearing the pounding of River's hooves ripping through the foliage was enough to send her heart into her throat. Even that close, she couldn't hear it beating. The only thing she heard was River – his hooves, his breaths, and the flicks of his tail as he galloped.

While terrifying, there was something absolutely exhilarating and powerful about the run. Shirayuki felt as if she could run the entire length of the world, she felt like nothing could stop her. Not even the smell of the smoke that was definitely getting stronger.

The path glowed, sparks of white curls exploding from their race. River was almost next to Thunder, and Zen managed to glance back at Shirayuki. The wind pushed his hair all over the top of his head, and Shirayuki thought it was almost hypnotizing to stare at.

There was a whisper through the air, and then the Moon appeared in front of them. She was riding side – saddle on a pure white steed with massive glowing wings. It didn't even touch the ground as it cantered, and Thunder snorted at it – probably angry to give up the spot of leader in this race.

The Moon's face was pinched with worry. She had a dark line down her side, bigger each night. "Quickly, my dears." She hissed. "Follow me. We can't let the fire catch us."

Thunder and River put on a burst of speed that nearly threw Shirayuki from her seat. She sat upwards, leaning towards River's neck in something Zen called a "half seat". It was immensely easier than trying to keep her butt in the saddle.

The steed of the Moon took a hard left, and River actually skidded a little in a sort of stop – go movement. Shirayuki clutched her fingers through his mane, almost releasing the reins as her body trembled with the movement. River tossed his head and leapt a few paces to find his stride. It was as if there was a path his hooves were following – a ghost he had to merge with. And he did so flawlessly.

Pride and awe swelled through Shirayuki and she leaned forward a little to whisper to the horse. "You're _incredible_."

His one ear twitched in acknowledgement as he caught up to Thunder.

The smoke was suffocating, but the Moon's steed beat it's mighty wings and the black cloud approaching them dissipated. The Moon looked back at the two riders. "May the stars speed your path, young ones." She murmured.

Shirayuki felt a sting on her arm and spared a glance down at her forearm. Her new tattoos were glowing brightly, almost blinding to look at. She glanced at Zen, who's were beaming through his shirt, cascading his side in a brilliant glow.

Shirayuki heard a roar and turned her gaze to the side. To her horror, she saw an orange glow. "What…is that?!" She called.

A blast of heat made her wince and Thunder nickered nervously. Zen dug his heels in and tightened his fingers. "Focus, girl!" He urged.

The Moon glared at the orange glow as it raced beside them. Her eyes widened. "That is-!"

A horrible, horrible laughter interrupted her. The trees groaned and some came crashing to the ground. Shirayuki narrowed her eyes against the glow, and all the moisture in her mouth dried. There was another horse running through the fire – no, it was _made_ of the flames. It had a black body, with fire licking from its hooves, mane, tail, and eyes. It didn't look at them, it's mouth was opened to reveal pointed canines. The rider was headless, but swung a sword made of flame, letting it graze over the leaves and the trunks of all it passed. The rider turned, and even with no head Shirayuki felt the prickle on the back of her neck of someone staring at her.

The Moon shouted. "Follow me!" The path abruptly turned and again the horses were forced to make a sliding turn, following the Moon's light.

Zen glanced over to see the headless horseman too, and Shirayuki saw true fear grip his gaze. He looked at her sharply. "Stay close to me!"

Shirayuki nor River needed an urging for that. River galloped to the side of Thunder, matching her mighty stride.

The Moon shouted at the other horseman, who had seemingly followed them with not even a misstep. "Stay away! These two are protected by the Tides!"

The laughter echoed again. Shirayuki jumped as there was a loud boom, and all of a sudden a tree that they were passing began to drop towards them. Zen and Shirayuki ducked, and River gave a jump forward as the trunk brushed his hindquarters. But they powered on.

"He'll kill us!" Shirayuki cried. "We can't outrun him!"

The Moon pursed her lips. "What sorcery is this?" She asked.

The mermaid looked at Zen, who looked aghast at her gaze. "I don't know! Until a few days ago, I didn't think there was _any_ magic on land!"

Another trunk fell towards them, and this time the Moon's steed had to lift a wing to toss it back in the opposite direction. Shirayuki could feel River's flank heave from the intense sprint. Thunder did not look much better.

Her new legs were shaking with the strain of staying up. But she didn't trust herself to sit back down, not when River was in the thicket of his stride.

Another tree, this time perfectly positioned to crush Shirayuki and Zen.

Shirayuki didn't think about her next action.

Time did not slow down, nor did any particular thought other than her fear flash through her head.

One second she was watching the tree fall from the back of her horse. The next, she was in the air, her two hands connected with the bark and pushing it the other way.

The biggest shock was that it worked.

Then the bigger shock was her landing on the ground. She gasped as the breath was knocked out of her and she rolled through a wall of white light, the moon's path curling around her to mark her body with those strange stains.

"Shirayuki!" She heard Zen scream. But then a wall of fire erupted between her and the screaming horses, the hot red glow parting the Moon's white glow like an actual blade through seaweed.

Shirayuki covered her face with her arms at the spattering embers floating towards her. One singed into her hair and she quickly slapped at the burning sensation.

The laughter shook her bones and she looked up to see the headless horseman. His steed was snorting and tossing its head, stomping at the ground as if the moon's path bothered it. The rider dismounted. He wore a long, singed cape connected with an almost familiar crest at the base of his collarbone. Underneath, a knight's armor covered him from head to toe, golden bronze as if it burned with fire underneath it. He hovered his blade of flames towards Shirayuki, and she felt all of her blood run cold.

Her breath wouldn't come, her heartbeat shook her whole core.

The headless man laughed. His steed stalked around them, leaving a trail of fire until Shirayuki was truly trapped.

She heard Zen scream in the distance, and the terrified whinny of one of the horses.

The headless man raised his sword of flame high above his head.

Shirayuki closed her eyes. She turned her head, hoping for a painless death.

Instead, a loud clang rang through the area, giving her skin goosebumps as a chill of power ran through her.

She looked up.

Her knife floated in front of her, having somehow managed to catch the blade at the base of its hilt. It trembled with the effort, but kept the sword at bay.

The headless horseman reared back, and his steed actually reared in shock.

Before the rush of adrenaline could pass, Shirayuki reached up and grabbed the knife's hilt. She got to her feet, her one leg almost buckling on her as she gasped for breath. The air tasted nasty in her mouth and scraped her lungs – she missed breathing in the ocean so much.

As if the thought had brought it, Shirayuki felt her eyes burn with power. They _did_ still glow. She raised the knife and brought it into a fighting stance, leveling with the swordsman.

Getting over his shock, he readied a stance as well.

Shirayuki read his posture. He was not taking her seriously. His left leg was being used as his support leg, despite obviously favoring his right side. He had a curious tilt in his shoulder, and he let his other arm dangle uselessly as he pointed his blade at her. Still, he held tight to his hilt – he was worried about another surprise.

Shirayuki would use that to her advantage at the first chance.

He lunged first, and Shirayuki rolled under his legs, taking the opportunity to slash at a small opening his armor, just at the joint of his knee. However, it was a simple graze thanks to her awkward positioning and movements. She jumped back to her feet and whirled to face the demon, her braid slapping her in the cheek.

The horseman stumbled, his gloved hand going down to the inside of his leg to see the damage. He did not bleed, Shirayuki noted. He straightened his posture again to face her.

It was getting harder and harder to breathe, but her eyes still glowed. The man lunged for her again, this time with a strike aimed at her neck. Shirayuki had to use both hands to block. She stopped the flaming sword with the flat of her tiny blade, putting her hand against the other side to steady it. She hissed in pain as embers tickled across her fingers and palm.

This wouldn't work, she needed a sword like Zen had to face this threat.

The man drew back his sword and spun, striking at her other side. Shirayuki managed to duck under it, but before she could dive between his legs again he kicked her, sending her dangerously close to the flames.

She stopped herself with her hands and legs, crouching on the ground as she fell to her knee. Her shoulder throbbed where she had been hit, she was sure she would have a nasty bruise. Her hands still glowed with the mark of the moon – it helped remind her she was not alone. She stood again, fire blasting heat behind her as she readied the knife again.

The horseman rolled his shoulder and made another stab at her.

She blocked the tip of the blade in much the same way, but this time spun before he did and landed a hard punch to his side, just under his ribcage. The horseman stumbled into the flames fearlessly, but Shirayuki had the frozen fears of a battler. She let out a fierce cry as she lunged for the man again.

He scrambled out of the way, still engulfed in the fire. He laughed, and Shirayuki had a moment of confusion before something heavy knocked her forward, causing her to almost faceplant into the flames. Luckily, she threw her hands down and caught herself on her hands and knees.

The flames licked around her fingers and legs and she hissed with pain, jumping back out of the fire with a cry.

The steed of the headless horseman had shoved her, and was stalking towards her as if it had seen enough of her standing up to his rider.

The horseman laughed, content to watch his beast end her.

It snapped its canines at Shirayuki and she moved backwards slowly, wishing her knife was a sword.

There was another whinny, and a huge shaped lunged over the fire to collide with the demon, sending it falling to the ground with a scream that sounded too human.

River reared over the demon, who lifted it's head and flailed it's legs at River's to try and knock him over. River whinnied a challenge and brought his hooves down over the demon's neck in a move that would otherwise be fatal. And true, it did force the demon to release a steam of smoke from its nostrils, but the demon still thrashed.

River backed away on his hind legs, landing just before the flames and circling slowly to Shirayuki, his ears pinned straight back.

Shirayuki reached up and grabbed the stirrup hanging from his saddle. She hoisted herself up, putting her arm over her horse. "Good boy." She panted.

River bared his teeth at the demon, who rose as his rider walked around to brandish his sword at Shirayuki next to his horse. He laughed.

River snapped his jaws, and the demon did the same.

Shirayuki looked at her blade. The knife glowed – had it gotten bigger since her last swing? She moved upwards, her arm around River's withers and tangling in his mane. Sweat poured down the horse's neck. She was honored that such a noble beast had chosen to come back and fight with her.

That awe sent a rush through Shirayuki, not unlike the wave crushing the sand beneath it as it rushed to shore. Shirayuki felt a jolt of power travel down her arm, and she watched as her knife extended. The hilt grew in her grasp, balancing to her weight as the blade reached out to level at the headless horseman's chest.

It was smaller than his blade, but Shirayuki recognized a symbol at the bottom of the metal. Carved in thin white lines, a full moon cradled in the curve of a wave. A perfect copy on both sides of the blade.

The hilt was decorated with five pearls, and Shirayuki felt a pulse of familiar magic that reminded her of home radiate from them. She smiled and swung the blade once.

However, the magic was not done filling her. Through her left arm it rushed, and she gasped as River's coat began to glow. His mane lifted off of his neck, lines of what looked like blue lightning rushing through it. His hooves pounded the ground.

Shirayuki looked back and blinked. While he still had hind legs, and a glowing white tail crackling with energy, he also looked like he had sprouted a fish's tail. It flickered, and the more Shirayuki focused on it the less clear it became.

The hippocampus were thought to be a long extinct sea creature that the mers used to ride through the waves. They were the horses that had tumbled through the waves and returned back to their creator after being spat onto the land, unlike their mammalian brethren who rushed to run free and wild.

The headless horseman laughed again, bringing Shirayuki's attention back to him.

With her new blade, and power rushing through her body, and a steed made of the ocean's waves beside her, Shirayuki charged the demon.

River crashed his head against the fire horse's, both of them shoving – at odds until River lashed his tail and began to push the demon backwards through the dirt.

Shirayuki's blade met the horseman's with a resounding clang, and Shirayuki heard the rush of the ocean as if she was jumping through it's waves. Where her blade met the horseman's, the fire of his sword sputtered weakly as if the metal was wet.

Shirayuki pulled back and stabbed at the headless horseman's upper chest plate. She left a long scratch against the armor, and using the slide she slashed downwards and broke through the armor straps. The chest plate peeled from his chest and dangled uselessly on his other side. Before the demon could strike her back, she ripped through his upper chest and spun back and out of the way, her sword still ready and pointed upwards as she held it downwards.

The horseman stumbled back. Without his chest plate, he had sunken gray skin, cut cleanly apart to reveal nothing but an old, yellow ribcage. He held his hand over his chest and his laughter was tighter this time, a little similar to a nervous chuckle.

Shirayuki spared a glance at her steed.

River tossed the fire demon on its side, sending it rolling through the flames with a groan. His pelt glowed as if stars dappled his hindquarters, and as he twitched his head a bolt of what Shirayuki thought might be lightning sent a wave of dirt over the flames and had the fire demon squealing.

Shirayuki turned back to the Headless Horseman, who was rising to his feet. He lunged at her with a stab, and Shirayuki easily ducked under the jab. She knocked his sword upwards, sending his arm backwards and leaving him open for Shirayuki to slice his chest again, this time downwards.

Her arms trembled with the amount of power she was expressing. But she couldn't give up just yet. Not trusting her stamina to last, she jumped back towards the Headless Horseman and knocked him back with her knee. On his back, she stepped over him and stabbed her sword straight through him into he ground. "In the name of the Sea and the Moon, I banish you back to the ground!" She shouted, not exactly sure what she meant.

But they seemed to have an effect.

 _Shhhhhhhh, shhhhhhh._ Came the sound of the waves. Shirayuki felt a rush of power run through her that made her curl her toes. Her hair flung upwards and she breathed her first clean breath of air since the fire had started.

When she looked down again, the horseman was gone, and her sword was burrowed into the ground. She looked to River, who was standing with panting sides alone as the fire parted and died around him into a circle of ash and embers.

Shirayuki pulled her sword free with a grunt, suddenly not finding the strength to wield so hefty a weapon. As if following her thoughts, the blade once again shrunk to a simple dagger. Or, maybe not simple, as it floated free from her fingers and twirled almost happily through the ruined air.

River walked towards her, the glow from his pelt fading and his mane once again resting against his neck. He huffed as Shirayuki leaned against him, her head pounding with pain and tears threatening to spill as the adrenaline faded.

"Shirayuki!" Zen's voice reached her ears.

Desperately, she looked around. But her vision was fading, and she was sliding off of the support of River, despite the horse's best efforts.

White light erupted around her feet, the path of the Moon being reignited as if a match was lit to it. The tendrils curled around her boots and clung to her shoes as she fell to her knees. She began to tilt, but then warm hands curled around the back of her head and her lower back. White lines brushed all around them as Zen brought her to his chest.

"Are you okay?" He asked, breathless and blue eyes glowing in reflection of the path.

She could only smile faintly. She turned her face into his chest, breathing in his warm scent – like flowers or the heat of the sun. Then, her consciousness slipped into nothing.


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello all! Happy New Year! Guys, you know what's crazy? Yes, me posting more than one chapter in a month, but also, that it's 2019. I've been working on this story for THREE YEARS! That's disgusting. I started this story when I started college - that's actually insane. If you have been here from the start, know I love you very very very much.**

 **Phew, this story's world just keeps on getting bigger. Like, good lord! We have the ocean, the moon, the headless horseman, and...this. I cannot spoil. Just read, and enjoy. Oh, and remember, review!**

* * *

Zen was not sure what had just happened.

For a moment, he just knelt in the clearing. Shirayuki's head was against his chest and she breathed as if it were an easy and peaceful sleep that had done this to her. Thunder, his ever mighty beast who had tried desperately to both reconnect with River and Shirayuki whilst avoiding death by fire, nuzzled the edge of River's mane. River did the same, but Thunder did it a little more gently – like she wasn't sure how hurt her friend was.

That jolted Zen and he gently touched Shirayuki's cheek. She was warm, and he couldn't tell if it was a fever or if it was heat from the ever dying fire. The Moon's trail was breezing all around them, covering each bit of flame and dousing it as if it were something of physical substance. He could not see the Moon Herself, but he was more concerned with Shirayuki at the moment to give it much thought.

His fingers gently moved up to her temple, where a bit of her hair was resting. It was singed slightly, giving it an odd wave. He pinched the strands, hating how dead they felt. Her breath was even, if not a little more deep than usual.

Something flashed in Zen's vision and he managed to pull his gaze up.

The knife – the sword – the weapon, floated above him proudly. Ether waiting for further instruction, or looking like it wanted praise. Zen truly, had no words. Rare of a prince, especially when he was so accustomed to politics throwing new ideas and insanity left and right, but he couldn't find the words when he faced this magic.

A cool hand that wasn't really there didn't really touch his shoulder. He looked up at the Moon, who looked grim. "Look out for us." She murmured to the dagger.

It spun once then darted around the clearing.

The Moon glanced down at Zen.

"What….just happened?" Zen asked.

The Moon smiled helplessly. "A lot. Right now, let's get you both to somewhere safe where you can rest and heal." She lifted her hands and below them the glowing path moved them. Zen jumped at the unexpectedness of it and clutched Shirayuki to his chest protectively. The Moon chuckled at him but did not say anything as he, Shirayuki, River, and Thunder all were pulled back towards somewhere.

"The-The headless horseman." Zen whispered. "I thought he was a children's fairy tale."

The Moon nodded, a frown marring her face as she watched the forest past them, scanning the destruction the fire had left. "I have learned from only watching, First Prince. But most of your so called 'fairy tales' are at least based on truth. But to call on them like that?" The Moon shook her head. "From what I have seen, the magic Above Surface is not like it is Below Surface. The mers connect and channel the magic they possess, you humans fear it and it haunts you."

The horses seemed to understand this would be a long journey, or at least a nonthreatening one. They both lied on their knees, River resting his head over Thunder's back with a empathetic snort. Zen stared at the little Arabian horse. He couldn't believe that in such a short time, River had bonded with Shirayuki that much to literally jump through fire for her. He also had only seen a glance, but he thought that the horse was controlling lightning during that battle.

"I didn't know any of this was real just a few weeks ago." He admitted breathlessly.

"Do you wish it wasn't?"

Zen thought of the headless horseman. He thought of the monsters and the Xerturts. He thought of puking his guts out in the bathroom at Garack's place. He thought about watching Shirayuki paralyzed for weeks.

Then he looked down at her face.

"No."

* * *

Shirayuki woke up to sunlight. She groaned, her mouth tasting dry and her head pounding. Her hands and her calves hurt when she tried to move them. Even so, she sat up uncomfortably. Her hair dragged off of her pillow – it had been brushed and was hanging in a curtain around her frame as she shivered.

She was sitting in their tent, Shirayuki wondered if it had all been a dream.

A cough shook through her. Ugh, they were much harder on her frame without the support of the water around her. Human lungs were worthless. As if the cough had summoned it, she was suddenly aware of the soreness of her throat. She tried to stand, and winced, nearly falling over. Her fingers touched something cold and she found a canteen of water ready for her. She grabbed it and clumsily unscrewed the cap. She drained almost all of it, until a roll of water dripped out of the corner of her mouth and she wiped it with a sigh.

She managed to get to her feet, discarding the sleeping bag. Belatedly, she realized she was only lying on top of hers, Zen had opened his and was using it as a blanket on top of her. Her eyes hurt as she carefully brushed the tarp of their tent open.

They were in the same clearing, once again making Shirayuki wonder if she had actually fought the headless horseman or she was dreaming. But then there was a welcoming nicker, and she looked over to see River trotting towards her.

"River." She breathed. She stepped free of the tent and fell against the horse's head. River shifted himself so she was leaning on his shoulder, and he curled his neck around her protectively. Curiously, she ran her hand through his mane, though it hurt the burns on her palm to do so. No lightning cracked, no sparks flew. He was just a normal, land horse, once more.

Shirayuki looked around. The clearing was empty, there was no Zen.

Panic flared inside of her, but she fought to tamper it down. Thunder was here, scratching herself with her teeth on her forelegs. Zen's sleeping bag was in the tent. She caught a glimpse of the dagger circling the campsite. If Zen was really gone, there would be more signs.

A cough shook Shirayuki and she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Her head was killing her. Instinct made her to want to look for herbs, but then she remembered she didn't know any of them outside of the sea. She sighed. She had to assume Zen was out hunting or foraging or peeing, and she should go back to bed.

But instead she heard her name.

Shirayuki jerked and looked up at River, who hadn't reacted to the sound. She looked over to Thunder, who had finished teething her fur to teething the grass around her. The knife floated overhead casually, alert but not alarmed.

Shirayuki was about to chalk it up to a fever when she heard it again.

This time, she knew the voice.

She pushed off of River, stumbling a little but keeping her feet under her. "Dad?" She whispered.

 _"Shirayuki…_ " He said again. The voice sounded garbled to her ears, when she realized she was recognizing Mermish.

She closed her mouth and wanted to speak back, when she remembered she lacked the gills to do so. "I can't respond, I can't speak Mermish right now." She wanted to cry out into the woods, but her throat strained with just the effort of speaking. It felt like her throat was twirling itself into a tight, closed tube.

 _"Come home…."_ Her Dad called. _"I miss you."_

Shirayuki felt hot tears well in her eyes. "Dad I…I miss you too. So much. Is Mom with you? Where are you?"

 _"You don't belong here. This is enemy ground."_

Shirayuki started to walk. She didn't know where, the word was becoming a glowing puzzle of fuzzy colors. "Dad? Daddy?" She talked again.

 _"I'm here. Come home."_

Hot tears welled in Shirayuki's eyes. "I want to! Please, take me back!"

That's when the burning sensation made Shirayuki gasp and choke. She grabbed her elbow, furiously throwing the sleeve up past her elbow. The moon in its phases were glaring at her. They glowed a dangerous pearl, like a warning.

 _"Shirayuki."_ Her father's voice was harder – like he was reprimanding her. Like he had done when she was a little girl throwing a temper tantrum over how he had to leave the tavern her grandparents owned.

Shirayuki pressed a head to her hand. She fell to her knees, suddenly hearing another's voice.

YOU ARE BEING PUT UNDER A SPELL.

She didn't want to believe it, but her forearm felt like it was going to be singed off and her own magic welled up to defend her immediately.

Her father's voice, harder than she had ever heard it, harder than it would have ever been. _"Shirayuki!"_

Shirayuki wanted to call out to it to leave her alone, but she could never say that. Not to her father, when he was everything to her. When it was the very last thing she had ever wanted him to do to her.

FIGHT IT!

"No." She cried. She so desperately wanted it to be true, but her own magic sent her falling over with the not-really-there metaphysical slap it gave her. She had to give it control, let it protect her. With a cry, she did. To her surprise, however, she still heard her father's voice.

 _"Shirayuki! Come HOME!"_

Shirayuki wailed, clutching her chest and feeling the grass tickling her cheeks, causing the tear marks down her cheeks to only be half – wiped. She felt her dress tangling around her convulsing legs, her arm still feeling as if she had shoved it into an underwater volcano. The magic was stronger than her own powers, it couldn't block it out.

Then there was a cool, gentle touch on her cheek.

And it all stopped.

Shirayuki was left with just her heaving breath, the tall wall from her magic solidifying and easily fading into nothing. The voice of her father long gone. She was in her normal, slightly feverish body. And she was crying in a ball on the grass, with a concerned horse holding her pin gently between his front teeth against her cheek.

His breath parted strands of her hair as she reached up and took the pin, River backing a pace back with a huff of what must have been relief. She cradled the little pin. She had never felt any magic from it, but how had it stopped the spell?

At that moment, Zen stepped through the brush and into the sunshine of the clearing. He looked at Shirayuki in shock, then suddenly rushed to her side, falling to his knees in front of her without stopping. "What happened?" He asked, hands reaching out to her but only hovering, something stopping him from touching her. He let his sword sheath drop to the ground next to him, his hands still unsure.

Shirayuki let out a small, relieved sob that she wasn't alone with the horses anymore. "So-So much." She hiccupped. She got tired of his hands just hovering and pressed herself into Zen's chest.

He then easily folded his arms around her shoulders, stroking her hair and picking blades of grass from it. "I'm so glad you're alright." He breathed. Shirayuki could feel his heartbeat, a little faster than usual. He was also a little panty – she figured he must have been training away from the clearing with his sword, probably to avoid waking her. "You were so amazing last night. How did you – I don't even know how you did that. Ow!"

At that Shirayuki jumped back with a gasp.

Zen rubbed just below his ribs with a laugh, Shirayuki had accidentally stabbed him with one of the pin's edges.

"Oh, sorry!" She gasped, a little tiny laugh escaping her. A much needed bubble of laugh.

Zen laughed as well and pulled her back to him, this time his arm around his shoulder and his other hand gently touching the pin as well. Very much needed. "It's alright. You got a fever last night, the Moon told me you needed rest. We're not going to be leaving for another day, at the least."

"I'm not that hurt." Shirayuki fought off an eye twitch and tried to ignore the pounding in her head.

Zen's blue eyes glittered with a teasing remark, but before he could he looked up at River's impatient stomp. The horse was still hovering in front of them. He lowered his head and nuzzled Shirayuki's arm with a snort.

"Ew." Shirayuki complained, as he had gotten snot on her elbow.

Zen nodded as if the horse had made an excellent point. "You're right." Without warning, he pulled Shirayuki tighter against him and his other hand snaked under her knees. He hefted them into the air, and Shirayuki felt the almost weightless sensation for a moment that had her press closer to Zen's chest.

"A little warning would be nice?" She muttered, although she could feel heat rising to her cheeks.

Zen moved them towards the tent. River, apparently satisfied, moved back towards Thunder with a happy flick of his tail. Zen paused as he ducked in.

"What?" Shirayuki asked.

Zen stepped over something then knelt, putting her down on her sleeping bag. "Tell me that doesn't look suspiciously like a hoof print."

Shirayuki leaned forward, and sure enough, a muddy print of River's size was printed into the floor of their tent. Shirayuki gaped, then looked down at the hair pin in her hands. "How did he know?" She whispered.

Zen ran his hand through his hair. Again, it was longer and dangled just over his eyebrows, too close to his eyes. "I know you have a fever. And I know I'm a human who knows nothing about magic, but what just happened?"

Shirayuki felt steady enough to try and explain it to him. "I heard my – some kind of voice. It was trying to lure me, though I don't know where to. I could tell it was magic, my own magic tried to fight it off but couldn't. It hurt." She admitted.

Zen tensed. He adjusted so his feet were under him, and he was knelt in an almost predatory crouch, ready to spring away. "Does that mean there's someone near us?"

"Not necessarily." Shirayuki rubbed her forehead, careful to avoid the blisters. She felt uncomfortably hot, even though she was sure the fall day was relatively cool. "Listen, do you remember –" She winced at the thought. "When I first sang to you?"

Zen paused, his ears turning red. He fixed his stance again. This time, it was casual and soft – meaning that he would still spring at any moment. Less fight, more flight. "Kind of. It's a little hazy."

"You heard me singing when you were back on land and I was still in the sea, right?" A memory of watching Zen be pulled away on a tiny little piece of wood, staring after her with brilliant blue, curiously confused eyes surfaced for her. She shook it clear.

This made Zen nod. "I kept thinking I heard you singing for-for, well me. I kept going back to the ocean."

Shirayuki nodded. "This is what that could be."

"But you sang to me face to face first. Doesn't that mean this…whatever it is, trying to pull you away, had to be face to face?"

She heard the headless horseman's laughter in her head and shook her head with a frown. "Not necessarily…" She sighed. "I don't know, Zen. This isn't the Sea's magic, this is land magic. You've got to have some kind of legend about Above Surface temptation."

Zen bit his lower lip. Shirayuki's eyes were immediately drawn to the motion, and she felt her heart clench in her chest. She had the strangest urge to mirror his action, but she instead bit her tongue. Then Zen huffed out a breath, ruffling a hand through the back of his hair attractively. Why was he being so gorgeous right now? "The only thing that comes to mind involves sex."

Shirayuki leaned away from him, making a face.

Zen's face reddened and he held up his hands, shaking them and his head. "Wait wait wait! Incubus and Succubus! They're-they're these creatures who can make you do anything by having sex with them."

Shirayuki, still blinked. "I don't really want to share this, but my sex life has not been very active as of late."

Zen blushed even harder at this. "M-Mine ether. Listen, it was just the first thing that popped into my head." He looked away from her, ears red again and his hands agitatedly running over his face.

They were quiet for a very strange moment.

"Other than them, mermaids." Zen finally said. "Mermaids are legends that lure men to their death." He looked at her again, with a look that showed he didn't know how to feel about this anymore.

"That-" Shirayuki shivered from the memory of the voice or because she had a fever. "That wasn't a Siren's song. It wasn't even a song. Just words."

"Kelpie?" Zen offered.

Shirayuki threw her head back and groaned. "Are you serious?"

Zen opened his mouth in offense. "They lure people to their death!"

"They're _horses_. They don't talk."

"Maybe they could! In some legends, they can be pretty girls."

"Of _course_ they can. I'm sure they lure people to death with sex, too."

"Then a kappa."

"On behalf of all Merkind, and of the Sea, I'm going to kill you."

They stared at each other, then burst out laughing.

Shirayuki felt dizzy, but then she showed Zen the pendant. "Whatever it is, it can't touch me so long as I touch this."

Zen frowned at it, wiping a leftover tear from his eye. "I thought you said it wasn't magic?"

"I was wrong." Shirayuki shrugged. Even now, she couldn't feel any pulses from it. "I-I think it's a kind of protective ward."

"But…" Zen shook his head, clearly getting lost.

"Okay, look." She thought about the words. English was hard. "So, I can't feel any magic from it because it _stops_ magic. Every time I feel power from some other magic, it's because of my magic. My magic can't feel this magic because it won't let it."

Zen looked like he still didn't get it, but then he scratched his chin and said; "But you've used the _Aigua_ with it on your person. It let me hit you with _Aigua_."

Shirayuki nodded. "I think it only protects from unwanted magic. Or, dangerous magic. We were just playing around, nothing serious. And it doesn't stop my magic because that's protecting me as well."

"Does mine do that too?"

Shirayuki's head was really starting to hurt. She grabbed the canteen she had nearly drained earlier and drank the rest of it. She handed the empty jug back to Zen with a dismissive "sorry". "You don't have one of these." She told him.

"No, I mean –" He put down the canteen and his hands started to dig under his shirt's collar.

Shirayuki found she was hypnotized by the action, and her eyes fell to his revealed collarbone for the tiny moment she could see it. Then Zen pulled the pendant he had been given out and into view. He looked at her questioningly. "Does mine stop magic too?"

Shirayuki, curious, put her hand on it. She felt a thrum of power practically sing from it. "No." She decided. "I can feel some kind of magic from it, meaning whatever it does, it doesn't do my clip's…thing." She shook her head. "I'm really dizzy."

Zen immediately touched the back of her head and pressed his finger between her eyebrows. Gently, he lowered her back until her head rested on the sleeping bag's built in pillow. "Just rest." He brushed her hair from her face, then after a minute took the pendant from her and pushed it into place at the top of her head with a frown. "Just be careful not to roll on this."

As he lifted his sleeping bag over her, Shirayuki felt the inviting warmth of sleep tickle her. She smiled at Zen's joke, but she had always been a still sleeper, especially when sick.

"I'll get you some more water." Zen promised.

Shirayuki could only smile at him. In the only slightly dimmer light from the tent, his messed hair was golden, and his blue eyes so gentle. His smile put tingles in her toes. She wanted to tell him that the pendant was hanging off of him, complimenting those eyes and giving him look like he was a gift from the Sea. But instead, she just smiled until her eyelids fluttered closed.

Zen left the tent in a huff of something untrained folk would think was anger.

But any fighter knew that it wasn't anger, but urgency. He flicked open the flap and rushed to where he had dropped his sword. His eyes never stopped scanning the clearing, the ground, between the trees, the creek, the treetops. Anything for a clue of someone's presence.

He felt his tattoos glow on his side, but there was nothing around him to react to.

Still uneasy, he looked at the horses. They didn't seem particularly bothered, besides maybe by his uneasiness. Surely, if someone else was here, the horses would have seen it? Not to forget, the Moon's spell made it so no one could see them.

"No one human, anyways." He muttered to himself, locking the sword's sheath to his belt, hand still resting on the hilt in an untruthful show of relaxation. The headless horseman had no issues seeing and trying to kill them both last night.

He wished it were night, so he could see the Moon's spirit and have her guidance. He was freaked out enough by the Sea's magic, he didn't like knowing that the land he was so desperate to return to was not the same place he thought it was.

He moved to the river and refilled the canteen, eyes still scanning. He felt absolutely useless, and a little afraid for himself, too. He wondered what Shirayuki had heard, exactly. Judging by her tear streaked face, he knew better than to pry. It looked painfully personal, and he figured she would share when she felt she could. What would Zen hear to tempt him? Would he hear anything?

Curiously, Zen stared at the flowing water. He lifted his hand over the stream, then lifted. The water followed like a dog following a treat. Out it moved, away from gravity and the current. He stood, a staff of live water following his motions. He looked around, scanning for anyone around. As casually as one could defy the laws of physics, Zen tossed the water into a tree. Upon impact, he clenched his fingers into a quick fist. The water froze, half way around the tree and with spikes now bared all around it. It was a crash site stuck in time.

The horses had their ears pricked towards the dangerous, sparkling, pointy act of magic. Zen scanned the clearing. In a voice set for a king, he declared; "To anyone who aim to harm Shirayuki, know where your fate will lie."

The knife twirled in agreement.

There was no answer from the wood.

Zen, still not even close to satisfied, moved back towards the tent with his water to tend to Shirayuki.

Unbeknownst to him, something dark did slink away from the ice covered tree.


End file.
